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SABBATH  HOURS 


THOUGHTS 


BY 


LIEBMAN    ADLER 


THF  JEWISH  F'UFJLICATION  SOCIETY  OF  AMERICA 

1893 


Copyright,  1893, 
By  the  Jewish  Publication  Society  of  America. 


PRESS  of 
Ed\vaki>  Stern  <fe  Co. 

PHILADELPHIA. 


TO  THE 

FAITHFUL     KEEPERS 

OP  THE 

PERPETUAL    LIGHT 

OF 

JEWISrr     FEELINf}     AND     PRACTICE, 

G:be  3cwt3i3  lUomcn, 

THIH    WOKK    JH    J)i:i>ICATEI), 


.'{0283.'i? 


PREFACE. 

The  folloAving  fifty-four  sermons,  one  for  each  Sabbath 
of  the  year,  with  two  additional  for  leap  jeavs,  were 
culled  from  two  volumes  of  German  sermons  on  texts 
i'\i)\n  the  Pentateucli,  published  l)y  the  late  Rabbi  Lieb- 
iiian  Adler,  of  Chicat^o. 

Tiie  author,  in  iiis  preface,  speaks  of  how,  in  days 
gone  by,  "when,  on  Friday,  all  the  preparations  for  the 
beloved  Sabbath  had  been  completed,  and  the  Sabbath 
^^arments  had  been  donned,  the  Jewish  mother  began  to 
read,  attentively  and  devoutly,  the  Pentateuchal  and 
I'r(»|)hctifal  portions  a.ssigned  to  that  Sabbath,  continuing 
until  it  Wius  time  for  the  evening  service  at  the  syua- 
gogiie,  and  finishing  whatever  she  failed  to  read  then, 
on  the  afternoon  of  the  Sabl)ath." 

It  is  hoped  that  thi.s  collection  of  modern  sermons  on 
every-day  problems  may  take  the  place,  with  the  daugh- 
ters of  Zion,  of  the  ohl-timc  book  of  Biblical  readings, 
and  therofore  it  is  dedicaUul  first  and  foremost  to  the  use 
of  the  women  in  Israel.  Through  all  the  vicissitudes  of 
this  century,  the  sanctity  of  the  Jewish  home  has  been 
Wfll  maititained,  and  with  it  the  influence  of  woman 
over  Jewish  niligious  life.  By  right  of  inheritance,  she 
occu])ies  vantage-ground,  from  whose  height  she  can 
shape  the  future.  She  it  is  that  can  keep  alive  the 
ancient    fervor,    and    jiroinotc    an    intelligent    view  of 

V 


VI  PREFACE. 

Judaism  and  its  practices.  To  equip  her  with  needed 
knowledge  is  the  purpose  of  this  collection  of  Biblical 
discussions,  which  are  conducted  from  the  point  of  view 
of  modern  thought,  and  with  rare  lucidity,  illustrate  the 
universality  and  present  timeliness  of  our  ancient  sacred 
literature. 

Through  these  same  characteristics,  our  book  may  come 
to  have  another  use.  There  are  many  towns  and  settle- 
ments in  the  United  States  wholly  cut  off  from  Jewish 
teaching,  and  such  communities  may  welcome  these  ser- 
mons as  a  source  of  devotion  and  as  a  guide  to  the  study 
of  the  Sacred  Scriptures,  the  fount  of  Jewish  inspira- 
tion. Indeed,  the  book  will  yield  its  virtue  only  to  him 
who,  with  each  sermon,  will  read,  in  the  Holy  Book 
itself,  the  chapter  from  which  the  text  marked  under  the 
title  is  selected.  Such  earnestness  alone  can  restore  to 
us  our  former  distinction,  the  knowledge  of  the  Law, 
which  must  continue  to  be  our  wisdom  and  our  under- 
standing before  the  eyes  of  the  nations. 

The  Editor. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCH.* 

Liebraan  Adler  was  born  ou  the  twenty-fourth  day  of 
Tel)eth,  5572  (January  9,  1812),  at  Lengsfeld,  Grand 
Duchy  of  Saxe-Weiniar,  Germany.  He  received  his  firi^t 
instruction  in  the  sch<x)l  of  the  Jewish  congregation  and 
from  the  rablji  of  the  to^vn,  and  continued  his  Hebrew 
studies  with  R.  Kunreuther,  at  Gehiliausen,  and  afterward 
in  the  Jewish  seminary  at  Frankfurt,  under  R,  Solomon 
Trier  and  R.  Aaron  Fukl. 

He  tlien  passed  through  a  two  years'  course  in  the 
Teachers'  Institute  at  Weimar,  and  accepted  a  position 
in  the  Jewish  congregational  school  of  his  native  town, 
A  secular  school  having  been  established,  mainly  through 
his  efl!)rts,  he  became  its  principal  in  184i).  But  five 
years  later,  Adicr  left  Germany,  in  the  hope  that 
America  might  affl)rd  a  bettor  career  for  his  children. 
Soon  he  was  made  the  teacher  and  jjreacher  of  the  Jew- 
ish congregation  at  Detroit,  Mich.,  where  his  memory  is 
still  affectionately  and  reverently  cherished.  In  1861,  a 
call  came  to  him  I'rom  the  Keliillath  Aiishe  Ma'arnbh  of 
(.'hicago,  with  which  his  name  was  connecteil  until  the 
day  of  his  death,  Jamiary  2!),  1802. 

In  Chicago  Ids  w<trk  wiis  varied  and  lal)orinus.  The 
fulfilment  of  his  duties  required  strength,  perseverance 

•Adapted  and  traiiHlated,  with  the  permission  of  tho  author,  from 
"Llcl)rimti  Aiiler,  Kine  ficdenkrofic,  K<rh(iltcii  am  11  P'uhriiar,  18'.I2,  im 
Tompel  iler  K.  A.  M.  in  Chicago,  von  B.  Ful.Hfiitiial."— [Ei*.] 

vii 


Vlll  BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCH. 

and  couraii'C,  and  Liebman  Adler  Avas  strong,  tenacious 
and  honest.  Hence,  his  harvest  in  Chicago,  as  in  Detroit, 
was  appreciation,  reverence  and  love.  After  the  lapse 
of  years,  his  congregation  made  liis  work  less  onerous, 
and  during  almost  the  whole  of  the  last  decade  of  his 
life,  he  was  relieved  of  all  his  official  duties. 

Two  phases  of  his  public  activity  deserve  special  men- 
tion ;  he  was  a  true  patriot,  and  in  the  best  sense  of  the 
word,  a  successful,  religious  teacher.  "  Five  Addresses 
to  the  K.  A.  M."  are  on  patriotic  themes,  are  anti-slavery 
in  sentiment,  and  express  strong  feeling  with  clear,  swift 
utterance.  His  deeds  affirmed  the  sincerity  of  his  con- 
victions. It  was  he  that  induced  his  oldest  son  to  risk 
life,  if  need  be,  in  the  service  of  the  Union  Army. 

In  his  religious  work,  he  stood  upon  a  conservative 
platform,  clinging  to  inherited  customs  and  ceremonies, 
which  to  him  seemed  fraught  with  inspiration.  But  his 
orthodoxy  was  not  the  uncompromising  rigidity  of  pre- 
judice. He  was  a  clear,  unbiased  thinker,  and  a  student 
of  Jewish  history,  who  saw  in  Judaism  a  living,  pro- 
gressive force. 

The  l)est  exposition  of  his  attitude  we  have  in  his  ser- 
mons, of  which  we  happily  possess  three  volumes.  They 
are  pervaded  by  a  tranquil  spirit,  peculiarly  character- 
istic of  his  mind  and  life.  In  simple,  cordial  language, 
he  has  laid  down  in  them  the  highest  wisdom  of  noble 
living.  They  are  wholly  free  from  every  blemish  of 
polemics,  are  in  no  sense  dogmatic,  or  clouded  by  mys- 
ticism. In  a  word,  they  are  genuinely  popular.  In  the 
Jewish  homiletic  literature  of  our  day,  they  should, 
along  with  David  Einhorn's  and  Michael  Sachs'  sermons, 
be  accounted  our  treasures. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCH.  IX 

His  published  works  form  one  tangible  legacy  that 
our  revered  rabbi  has  left  us.  Another  aud  a  greater 
is  the  memory  of  his  beautiful  character.  Unassuming 
and  childlike,  he  loathed  all  pomp  and  artificiality,  and 
\v;us  content  with  his  own  lot  in  life.  As  becomes  a  son 
of  Aaron,  he  loved  and  promoted  peace,  and  his  lips 
always  and  everywhere  kept  knowledge.  The  true 
phihjsophy  which  he  expounded  to  othei-s,  rendered  his 
lAsn  life  joyous,  prevented  every  taint  of  pessimism,  and 
taught  him  to  meet  death  without  dread. 

Besides  the  proof  of  his  patriotism  and  the  statement 
of  his  creed,  he  has  left  us,  in  his  will,  a  record  of  his 
lovable  traits  as  a  man.  According  to  a  fine  old  Jewish 
fashion,  he  gives  his  children  directions  fi)r  their  spirit- 
ual guidance:  "My  children  !  Keep  together  in  frater- 
nal union.  Let  no  sacrifice  be  too  great  to  ensure  your 
mutual  helpfulness  and  the  continuance  of  your  broth- 
erly feelings.  Every  act  of  love  that  you  show  unto 
<»ne  anotlier  will  do  my  soul  good.  The  exampU-  of 
eleven  children  of  one  father,  standing  together  in  love 
and  faithfulness,  will  be  a  mure  beautiful  adornment  of 
his  grave  than  the  most  elaborate  floral  decoration, 
which  I  would  rather  not  have,  though  I  do  not  wish  to 
control  your  desires  in  that  matter. 

"The  little  jjropcrty  that  I  leave  behintl,  will  become 
yours  only  after  the  death  of  your  mother.  I  know  you  ; 
I  can  trust  you,  you  will  not  show  yourselves  unfilial  in 
its  possession  and  use.  The  inheritance,  however,  wliieli 
you  pos.ses8  even  now  is  a  good  name  and  a  training  aa 
good  as  I  coidd  give  you.  It  seems  that  not  one  of 
you  is  destined  to  grow  rich.  Let  that  n(»t  <listurb 
you.      Only  remain   honest,  true,  industrious    and   eeo- 


X  BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCH. 

uomical.  Do  not  speculate.  Even  when  speculation  is 
successful,  no  blessing  rests  upon  it.  Put  your  whole 
energy  into  the  conduct  of  your  chosen  calling.  Serve 
God,  and  have  him  always  before  your  eyes.  With  men, 
be  amiable,  courteous  and  modest,  and  all  will  go  well 
with  you  even  without  riches.  My  last  w'ord  to  you  is : 
Honor  your  mother!  Brighten  her  sad  widowhood. 
Do  not  disturb  her  in  the  enjoyment  of  her  small  estate, 
and  supply  the  deficiencies  in  her  income. 

"  Farewell,  wife  and  children  !  One  thing  more,  my 
children  :  I  know  well  that  if  you  Avould,  you  cannot 
practise  Judaism  according  to  my  conception,  and  as  I 
practised  it.  But  remain  Jews,  and  live  as  Jews  in  the 
best  manner  of  your  times,  not  only  for  yourselves,  as 
individuals,  but  also  for  the  welfare  of  the  community." 

These  words  ring  out,  and  re-echo  beyond  the  walls  of 
his  own  home.  "His  image,"  says  one  of  his  chosen 
friends,  "  stands  before  us  in  clearest  outlines,  and  we 
look  up  to  it  with  fervent  love  and  deep  reverence.  .  .  . 
As  often  as  we  look  upon  it,  may  we  renew  within  us  the 
resolve  to  walk  in  his  footsteps,  and  thus  grow  into  the 
light  of  a  noble  life." 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 
Preface. 

Biographical  Sketch. 
Sermons  : 

The  Story  of  the  Creation, 1 

The  First  Verse  of  the  Bible, 8 

The  So-called  Fall  of  Man, 13 

The  Sense  of  Shame, 21 

Cain  and  Abel, 29 

The  Book 35 

Praise  and  Blame, 42 

Reli<.non  ainl  the  Moral  Law, 48 

Be   Content   to    Live   in  the   Laud  of  Thy 

Birth, 55 

The  Tower  of  Babel, 60 

Ix^arnin;,'  and  For;,fettinf(, 68 

The  Mas.scs  Follow  a  Few  Thinkers,  ....  75 

Vicissitudes  of  Fortune, 81 

Fear   Not   that   You  May  Suffer   by  Doing 

Good, 86 

Off.spriiif,' of  till'   House  and  Ollspring  of  the 

Spirit, 93 

Reli^^ion  and  Kthic.-< 99 

A  Kevelatioii  at  the  Threshold,        105 

How  Can  Ten   Ki;,diteous   Men  Save  u  City 

from  Destruction? Ill 

xi 


XU  CONTENTS. 

"  I  Thought,  Surely,  there  is  uo  Fear  of  God 

iu  this  PLace,"         119 

Educatioual  lufiuences, 126 

"  Lead  Us  not  into  Temptation," 133 

Conflict  of  Duties, 139 

Temperament, 144 

Does  Man  Naturally  Improve  with  Age?  .    .  160 

Humility, 155 

Tolerance, 161 

Belated  Education, 171 

The  Importance  of  Little  Things, 178 

"  Death  and   Life  are  in  the  Power  of  the 

Tongue,"      184 

Home  Influence, 190 

Existence  and  Life, 196 

Immortality, 202 

The  Death  of  the  Father, 210 

Gratitude, 216 

Righteous  Indignation, 221 

The  Sabbath, 228 

Moses  and  His  Mission, 234 

Offering  and  Sacrifice, 239 

Providence  or  Chance, 246 

Individuality,      252 

Forgetting  and  not  Learning, 257 

Equality,     .    .               264 

The  Meaning  of  the  Word  "  Holy,"    ....  270 

Self-respect, 275 

Success  aud  Failure, 281 

"  Let  thy  Brotlier  Live  with  Thee!"    ....  286 

Know  Thyself, 292 

Character  Sketches  from  the  Bible,     ....  297 


CONTENTS.  XUi 

"  People  of  the  Lord," 304 

Qvuility  aud  Quantity, 30!) 

The  Testimony  of  our  Law  Among  the  Nations,  315 
Neither  Add   Thereto  nor  Diminish   There- 
from,      320 

Competition, 3L 


,)-. 


Chivalry, 330 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  CREATION. 

Gen.  I:  1. 

In  the  Jerur-alcm  Targum  "  in  the  beginning  "  is  ren- 
dered hy  "  in  ■wisdom."  Truly,  in  the  very  first  word 
nf  Holy  AVrit  there  is  wisdom,  since  it  begins  with 
"the  beginning,"  and  leaves  untouched  all  that  goes 
before. 

Among  the  ruins  of  Nineveh,  a  library  of  inscribed 
stone-flags  wa.s  discovered.  AMien  deciphered,  they  were 
found,  among  other  things,  to  contain  a  tale  of  the 
creation  and  the  story  of  a  flood,  which,  in  many  par- 
ticulars, coincide  with  the  Biblical  tales.  These  ancient 
accounts  from  Nineveh  may  be  older  than  those  of  the 
I'ible,  but  the  latter  excel  the  former,  even  as  the 
laconic  speech  of  an  experienced  sage  eclipses  the  c<tn- 
fiised  lK)iiil)ast  of  a  th(jughtless  chatterer. 

Whereas  the  Bible  is  content  to  begin  with  the 
"  l)eginning,"  the  Nineveh  document  suj)i)lies  the  un- 
known preceding  the  beginning  wilh  fables  aii<l  tales 
of  IJie  gods,  wildly  fanta.stic  and  uiin-sthetic. 

Ihe  ancients  have  proi)oun<l('d  the  question  :  "  Wiiy 
doe.i  it  sav,  '  in  the  ])eginnirig  God  created,'  why  not, 
'CxiA  crcalcfi  ill  the  l)eginniiig?'  God,  the  8td)ject, 
•  light  to  take  precedence."  The  <|uery  was  considered 
worthy  of  various  replies,  and,  with  the  same  idea  in 
mind,  the  (ireek  translators   have  taken  the  liberty  of 


2  SABBATH  HOURS. 

changing  the  text.  But  even  when  thus  transposed, 
there  is  wisdom  iu  the  words. 

The  Bible  wishes  to  give  man  a  story  of  the  creation 
of  the  earth  which  he  inhabits  ;  it  wishes  to  speak  of 
the  "  beginning "  and  not,  as  does  the  Nineveh  docu- 
ment, tell  a  tale  of  the  God-head,  a  theogony.  For  this 
reason,  "  in  the  beginning  "  should  be  more  accentuated 
than  "  God." 

The  ancients  furthermore  ask  why  the  Bible  com- 
mences with  2  in  n'tyNnD,  instead  of  with  x,  as  do 
the  ten  connuandments.  The  question  is  scarcely  a 
brilliant  one,  but  the  reply  is  very  clever.     The  letter 

3  is  closed  on  all  sides  but  one.  This  signifies  that 
we  must  not  too  deeply  investigate,  we  must  not  permit 
our  thoughts  to  betray  us  to  the  heights  of  heaven 
or  into  the  depths  of  hell ;  they  should  not  lose  them- 
selves in  speculation,  either  about  prehistoric  ages,  or 
about  a  future  world.  Therefore,  the  Torah  begins 
with  neither  philosophy  nor  hypothesis  concerning  the 
nature  of  the  God-head,  but  wdth  heaven  and  earth. 

Portions  of  the  Bible  do  not  meet  with  universal 
approval.  But  we  are  apt  to  forget  that  its  wisdom  does 
not  consist  merely  in  what  it  says,  but  equally,  if  not 
more,  in  what  it  leaves  untouched.  Strictly  speaking,  it 
contains  no  theology,  no  metaphysics,  no  mysticism,  no 
heaven,  no  hell,  no  angels,  no  devils,  nothing  of  another 
world.  The  Bible,  according  to  its  contents,  may  be 
divided  into  natural  history,  history,  laws  and  ethics. 

"  In  the  beginning  God  created  the  heaven  and  the 
earth."  This  verse  brings  the  Bible  into  harmony  with 
the  most  advanced  science.  Wlien  was  the  beginning? 
That  is  not  explained ;   perhaps   millions,  perhaps  an 


THE  STORY   OF  THE  CREATION.  3 

Utterly  inconceival>le  uiimber  of  years  ago.  Whence 
was  the  earth  evolved?  From  fire?  From  water? 
Or  from  both  ?  The  Bible  itself  is  silent  on  that  point. 
It  leaves  to  science  full  sway  to  investigate  and  decide 
the  question. 

The  ancients  inquire :  "  Why  does  Scripture  say 
D'oiyn  nx  and  ]"\nn  nxi.  Those  words  nx  are  appar- 
ently superfluous;  it  would  be  just  as  correct  to  say: 
pNi  D'rDiy  D'r\'in  xin  n^i^xno."  And  they  think  that  these 
words  signify  that  heaven  and  all  that  is  included  in  the 
idea  of  heaven,  and  the  earth  with  all  its  potentialities 
were  created  on  the  first  day,  i.  e.,  indefinite  ages  ago, 
but  that  on  earth  these  forces  proved  their  existence 
gradually,  each  one  acting  in  its  own  time. 

We  may  consider  the  story  of  the  creation  of  the 
universe  told  completely  in  the  first  verse.  The  further 
narrative  deals  exclusively  with  the  earth  which  we 
inhabit;  not  with  its  creation,  but  with  its  development, 
its  evolution.  It  is  n(j  cosmogony,  but  purely  geogony. 
On  the  first  day,  or  in  the  first  stage  of  development,  light 
found  its  way  through  the  dense  vapor  shrouding  the 
earth.  And  there  wa.s  light !  But  there  was  not  yet 
discernible  a  body  whence  light  emanated. 

In  the  second  stage  of  development,  the  fluid  element 
wa.s  divided  into  actual  water  and  tlie  vapor  that  fills 
the  atmosphere. 

In  the  third  stage,  the  \u.^i,  mighty  uplieavaLs  of  the 
earth  took  |)Iace.  Tiie  crust  of  the  earth  was  sprung 
0{)en,  mountains  arose;  from  the;  dc|)ths,  while  otiier 
parts  fell  int<j  aljysses,  were  lilled  with  wati-r,  ainl 
formed  the  8ea.s.  And  upon  the  newly-made  dry  laud 
appeared  the  earliest  vegetation. 


4  SABBATH   HOURS. 

Ill  the  foiirtli  stage,  the  atmosphere  had  become  so 
clear  that  the  sun,  the  moon  and  the  stars  were  visible. 
Finally,  in  the  fifth  and  sixth  stages  appeared  life, 
rising  from  its  lowest  forms  to  its  highest  develo])meut 
in  man. 

To-day,  as  on  each  Sabbath,  we  have  solemnly  taken 
the  Torali  from  its  case,  and  have  thanked  God  aloud 
for  blessing  us  with  it ;  the  congregation,  Bible  in  hand, 
devoutly  follows  the  reading  of  the  portion,  and  at  its 
close,  once  more  gives  thanks  to  God  for  bestowing  upon 
us  the  treasure  of  the  Torah. 

And  what  is  this  that  we  have  read  ?  It  is  what  in 
science  is  known  as  geogony,  the  doctrine  of  the  forma- 
tion of  the  earth,  a  branch  of  natural  science.  Science 
— this  is  the  distinction — deals  Avith  the  creation  only, 
regardless  of  the  Creator ;  whereas  the  Torah  men- 
tions the  Creator :  "  God  said,  God  created,  God  made," 
etc. 

What  could  be  more  potent  in  urging  the  Israelite  to 
investigate  and  acquaint  himself  W'ith  Nature,  than  the 
fact  that  the  Torah,  his  Holy  of  holies,  ojDens  with  a 
chapter  of  natural  science  ?  It  does  not  begin  like  our 
catechisms  with,  "  What  is  religion  ?"  but  it  tells  God's 
people  hoAV  the  earth  developed  under  God's  omnipo- 
tence. Man's  earthly  weal,  his  fairest,  chastest  joys, 
and  his  pure,  sincere  piety  are  the  results  of  this  study. 
The  psalmist,  in  the  104th  Psalm,  loses  himself  in  con- 
templation of  Nature,  and  then  his  surcharged  heart 
breaks  forth  into  the  words  :  "  O  Lord,  how  manifold 
are  thy  works !  in  wisdom  has  thou  made  them  all :  the 
earth  is  full  of  thy  riches." 

If,  thousands  upon  thousands  of  years   ago,  in  the 


THE  STORY   OF   THE  CREATION.  5 

infancy  of  mankind,  long  before  there  Avas  any  idea  of 
natural  .«cience  ;  l)efore  the  telescope  had  brought  within 
mortal  vision  spheres  millions  of  miles  away  ;  before  the 
microscope  had  disclosed  a  new  microscopic  world ; 
before  the  magnet  had  pointed  the  path  over  the  seas; 
before  air  and  water  had  been  analyzed  in  the  crucible; 
and  thousands  of  other  means  had  brought  light  and 
order  into  the  dark  bowels  of  Nature,  and  revealed  a 
world  full  of  marvels— if,  at  that  early  period,  Nature 
was  held  in  such  esteem  that  the  holy  l)ook,  the  Bible,  was 
o]>ened  with  a  contemplation  upon  it ;  if,  at  that  time, 
sages  and  j)oets,  gazing  about  them  and  up  at  the  starry 
firmament,  drew  thence  the  inspiration  which  impelled 
them  to  immortal  verses  and  songs  of  wisdom  ;  how  far 
advanced  must  we  be,  we  children  of  the  nineteenth 
century,  in  which  science,  witli  its  innumerable  dis- 
coveries and  inventions,  h:ts  opened  so  many  windows 
admitting  light  into  tlie  awful  depths  of  Nature  !  Alius, 
we  are  indeed  rhildnn  of  the  nineteenth  century  !  The 
ordiiiarv  imlividual^I  mean  one  ol'tlic  masses  of  to- 
day—is  a  child  in  matters  of  natural  science.  Yes,  we 
have  retrograded.  We  have,  it  is  true,  cast  off  an  im- 
mense tnimber  of  .-u|)erslitions,  (»f  absurd  exj)lanatious 
and  |)rejuili<(s  held  \>\  the  ancients  concerning  tlie 
phenomena  of  Nature,  lint  this  is  not,  ihie  to  intelli- 
gence ;  there  is  a  dilli'rent  reason  lor  i(.  The  ancients 
inquired  into  the  cimses  of  things,  and  it'  a  rational 
answer  was  not  at  hand,  the  (piery  was  silenced  with  a 
fable.  \Ve  <Io  not  iinjiiirr ;  we  are,  therefore,  safe  from 
all  niisunder>tanding,  but  neither  do  we  arrive  at  an 
understanding  of  thes(!  causes.  We  imagine;  that  we 
have  atlvanced  ;  we  have  advanced,  but  it  is  not   pio- 


6  SABBATH   HOURS. 

gress ;  we  are  i^rodded  by  coniparatively  few  thinkers. 
Ask  the  masses  about  any  ordinary  phenomena  of 
Nature  and  their  causes — about  thunder-storms,  earth- 
quakes, cyclones,  shooting  stars,  volcanoes,  eclipses  of 
the  sun  or  moon.  For  every  one  of  these,  the  ancients 
had  an  explanatory  reply ;  l)ut  were  you  to  repeat  that 
reply  to  one  of  the  masses  of  to-day,  his  education  would 
lead  him  to  deride  the  credulity  of  the  ancients  ;  yet 
no  better  answer  is  forthcoming ;  none  is  needed,  since 
none  is  asked  for.  In  social  intercourse  there  is  nothing 
more  unbearable  than  an  inquisitive  person ;  but  in  the 
intercourse  with  Nature,  the  Nature  in  and  about  man, 
everyone  ought  to  be  inquisitive,  particularly  the 
Israelite  ;  and  sound  and  reliable  answers  can  be  drawn 
from  the  wells  that  have  been  dug  and  made  accessible 
to  all — from  a  rich,  popular  literature. 

Ah,  how  wofull}^  has  religious  thought  gone  astray ! 
Religion  and  natural  science,  which,  in  the  first  chapter 
of  the  most  ancient  record  of  religion,  went  hand-in-hand, 
and  appeared  to  possess  one  heart  and  one  soul,  now 
regard  each  other  inimically,  and,  like  Jacob  and  Esau, 
quarrel  about  the  rights  of  the  first-l)orn.  Jacob  must 
bow  down  seven  times  before  Esau  embraces  him;  and 
when  Esau  says,  "  Now  let  us  go  forth  together  like 
brothers,"  Jacob  trembles  at  the  thought  of  such  close 
companionship,  and  answers,  "  We  may  not  go  together, 
for  my  flocks  might  suffer;  go  tliou  first,  and  I  will 
follow."  And  when  Esau  says,  "  Then  shall  some  of  my 
poojjle  remain  Avith  thee  to  guide  and  protect  thee," 
Jacol)  replies,  "Wherefore?  I  need  it  not." 

Judaism  ought  not  to  countenance  this  unbrotherly 
relation  'twixt  religion  and  science.   The  Bible  is  science 


THE  STORY   OF   THE   CREATION.  / 

— natural  science,  history,  law  and  ethics.  The  Talmud, 
despite  the  objections  and  warnings  interposed  by  some 
of  the  rabbis,  discusses  all  the  branches  of  science  known 
in  those  times,  as  do  the  best  i-abbinical  writings  of  the 
brilliant  Spanish  school.  Only  the  German  and 
Slavonic  rabbinical  schools,  during  times  of  unutterable 
oppression,  became  alienated  from  science,  as  also  ^Vfrican 
and  Asiatic  Judaism  has  become  estranged. 

I  am  addressing  an  educated,  enlightened  congregation, 
one  certainly  not  accustomed  to  unctuous  sermons  from 
its  present  preacher.  Yet,  were  I  to  bring  a  flower  into 
the  pulpit  instead  of  a  Bible-text,  and  attempt  to  prove 
the  omnipotence  of  God  by  showing  the  structure  of  the 
stem,  the  leaves,  the  calyx,  the  corolla,  the  stamens  and 
pistils,  the  cells  and  veins ;  were  I  to  show  that  the 
goodness  and  wisdom  of  the  Creator  are  manifest  in  tlie 
drop  of  honey  at  the  bottom  of  the  cup,  attracting  the 
in.sect,  which  in  its  intrusion  is  covered  with  pollen, 
carries  the  pollen  to  other  flowers,  and  so  fecundates 
them,  etc.,  you  would  not  be  greatly  edified.  You 
would  say,  "  Such  matters  are  out  of  jjlace  in  the  temple 
of  God !'' 

This  is  tiie  true  reform  at  which  we  must  aim  :  we 
mu.st  con.secrate  both  history  and  imtMral  science,  by 
regarding  them  as  integral  parts  of  religion; — n'tyx^D* 
consid(;recl  a.s  natural  science,  must  be  held  e<jually 
sacred  with  Noah,*  considered  as  hi.story. 


•  "In  ttic  bogirininK,"  tti<j  iininc-  nf  tlio  first  of  tlio  flny-fonr  \vekly 
r>ortinns  Into  which  the  I'cntuteuch  Is  divided.  Noiih  is  the  niuuu  ol  the 
second  portion.— [Tr.] 


THE  FIRST  VERSE  OF  THE  BIBLE. 

'  III  the  beginning  God  created  the  heaven  and  the  earth."— Gen.  1 :  1. 

Heathens  can  accept  not  even  the  first  words  of  Holy 
Writ,  for,  according  to  their  ideas,  "  in  the  beginning  " 
the  gods  were  created.  The  Torahs  of  the  heathens  do 
not  begin  with  cosmogony,  the  history  of  the  creation  of 
the  world,  but  with  theogony,  the  account  of  the  crea- 
tion of  the  gods,  and  of  how  one  god  begat  another. 
After  that,  how  many  generations  may  have  come  and 
gone,  ere  the  spirit  of  research  awoke  in  man,  leading 
him  to  investigate  tlie  origin  of  each  individual  crea- 
tion, and  then  of  the  sum  of  things,  the  universe,  that 
is  to  say,  ere  he  reached  the  idea  contained  in  the  words 
"he  created!" 

For  these  words  also  are  beyond  the  conception  of  the 
heathen ;  he  would  say  "  they  created."  We  have 
revised  our  prayer-book,  substituting  "  salvation  "  for 
"Savior."  But  a  far  greater,  a  far  more  imiwrtant  and 
more  influential  change  at  the  time  was  that  from  "  they 
created "  to  "  he  created."  Nor,  indeed,  could  the 
heathen  say  " they  created."  "Created"  signifies  the 
formation  of  something  from  nothing,  and  the  power  to 
do  this  the  heathen  does  not  accord  to  his  gods,  who 
may  only  give  form  to  pre-existing  matter.  These  first 
words  of  our  Torah,  "  In  the  beginning  God  created," 
which  express  a  complete  revolution  in  the  world  of 

8 


THE    FIRST    VERSE   OF   THE   BIBLE.  » 

thought,  have  been  given  to  humanity  by  Judaism,  nor 
have  they  yet  taken  root  anywhere  Init  in  the  soil  of 
Judaism  and  her  daughter-religions.  How  long,  then, 
may  it  have  been  before  the  human  intellect  was  suffi- 
cientlv  strong  and  disciplined  to  sum  up  manifold  crea- 
tion in  two  concepts,  and  to  give  expression  to  these  in 
two  W(jrds :  heaven  and  earth  ! 

Then,  for  thousands  of  years,  this  first  verse  of  the 
Torah  expresj^ing,  as  it  does,  a  spiritual  conquest,  was 
conned  by  mankind.  But  in  the  course  of  those  years, 
its  imperfections  have  been  remedied,  and  its  misconcep- 
tions righted.  Divine  truth  can  never  4)e  clearly  enough 
understood,  and  much  less  clothed  in  wm-ds,  ])ecause,  for 
the  divine,  we  have  but  a  human  method  of  expression. 
This  is  shcjwn  in  the  very  first  verse  of  Holy  Writ,  in 
our  text.  "  Elohim,"  which  is  the  concentration  of  the 
blind,  heartless  forces  of  Nature,  supposed  to  have  been 
divided  among  all  the  gods,  was  later  transformed  into 
"Adonai,"  a  single  Creator,  Preserver  of  the  world  and 
Controller  of  luiinan  destinies,  an  eteinal,  omnipotent, 
just  and  merciful  (iod,  a  (iod  that  is  Providence,  an 
all-providing  Fatlier,  a  holy,  sujjerior,  intelligent  Being, 
free  from  all  faults  an<l  passions,  asking  no  service  for 
hims<df,  demanding  only  that  \\r  seek  tlie  light  oi' truth, 
an«I  abide  in  virtue.  Tlius,  in  the  eonix!  of  time,  the 
incomplete  designation  of  a  supreme  |)o\ver,  "  J-'Johini," 
gave  way  to  the  more  (•omj)rehensive  "Adonai."  So, 
too,  have  misunderstandings  been  dispelleil.  Isaiah's 
prophecy  ha.s  been  ful(ille«l  with  regard  to  tlu^  word 
"heavens:"  "  Tiie  heavens  are  vanish<<l  bke  smoke." 
Heaven,  as  the  ancients  understood  it,  no  longer  exists 
for  u.s,  not  o/jy,  much  less  xevcn  heavens.     At  the  time,  it 


10  SABBATH   HOURS. 

was  an  enormous  triumph  of  tlie  mind  to  bring  all  crea- 
tion undoi"  two  heads ;  as  time  went  on,  the  mind  included 
all  creation  in  a  i<i>ig'le  conception,  and  expressed  it  in  a 
shigle  word  :  universe,  or  the  even  more  forcible  cosmos. 
When  Ave  raise  our  eyes  to  the  glorious  azure,  which 
the  ancients  called  heaven,  we,  with  our  modern  con- 
ception thereof,  are  none  the  less  disposed  to  reverential 
wonderment,  our  souls  are  none  the  less  attuned  to  joy- 
ous adoration,  when  we  think  of  the  Creator  of  these 
glories,  of  this  ether,  which  at  night  is  illumined  by 
innumerable  lustrous  worlds,  and  in  which  our  earth 
floats  like  a  feather.  Yea,  this  azure  awakens  in  us,  as 
did  the  heaven  of  the  ancients  in  them,  worship  and 
adoration  of  the  Ruler  of  the  universe,  even  though  the 
azure  no  longer  re})resents  to  us  a  solid  edifice,  the  better 
half  of  creation,  the  habitation  of  superior  beings. 

^he  word  of  God  is  everlasting,  but  its  interpretation 
varies.  The  word  "  Shomayim"  signifies  to  us  what  is 
beyond  human  conception,  the  supernatural,  which  the 
mind  sees  as  in  a  vision,  the  inexpressible  which  the  heart 
dimly  feels.  The  animal  part  of  man  belongs  to  the  earth. 
But  his  higher  thoughts  and  aspirations,  his  world  of 
ideas,  and  all  that  is  beyond  animal  i)lcasures :  thought, 
hope,  the  consolation  of  immortality,  the  belief  in  one 
CJod,  the  constant  striving  better  to  understand  his 
being  and  his  will,  to  live  and  act  accordingly — these 
constitute  our  heaven.  To  earn  what  we  require  is 
earthly ;  but  to  earn  it  honestly  and  fairly  under  the 
most  trying  circumstances,^ so  to  limit  our  wants  that  we 
may  not  jeopardize  honesty  and  rectitude,  r/ta^  is  heav- 
enly. To  live  in  wedlock  is  earthly  ;  but  for  man  and 
woman  to  live  together  in  love  and  faith,  in  peace  and 


THE   FIRST   VERSE  OF  THE   BIBLE.  11 

harmon\\  even  though  it  necessitate  daily  and  hourly 
sacrifiees^i/(ai  is  heavenly.  To  he  father  and  mother  is 
earthly  ^ but  to  use  every  endeavor,  shunning  no  sacri- 
fice, not  merely  to  rear  children,  but  to  bring  them  up 
in  the  fear  of  God  and  on  the  path  of  virtue,  not  only 
to  regard  them  as  the  sunshine  of  the  home,  a  natural 
delight  to  the  eyes  of  the  parents,  but  to  be  ever  con- 
scious of  the  sacred  duty  to  make  good,  useful  men  and 
women  of  thern^  that,  is  heavenly.  To  live  for  one's 
self  and  one's  family  is  earthly  •  but  to  deny  one's  self 
l)leasures  in  order  that  others  may  enjoy,  to  exert  one's 
self  that  other  exhausted  ones  may  rest,  to  care  for 
others  and  save  them  care,  and  even  to  risk  one's  life 
for  that  of  others^f//a<  is  heavenly.  To  drift  with  the 
tide  is  earthly,  l)ut  to  stand  against  the  current  in  the 
defence  of  truth  and  conviction,  to  stand  alone  for  the 
right,  firm  as  a  rock,  even  tliough  the  tide  of  public 
opinion  toss  and  swell  around  one,  and  principles  totter 
and  sway,  that  is  heavenly.  Earnest  attention  to  tem- 
poral needs  is  earthly  ;  l)ut  to  think  of  the  eternal,  and 
U)  sacrifice  momentary  go<j(l  i'or  the  sake  of  eternity, 
^  that  is  heavfiily. 

This  heavenly  spirit  was  r-rcatcd  as  wsus  tlic  earthly. 
It  wa.s  the  creation  of  the  first  day.  An<l  in  the 
account  of  the  fiv(!  days  following  the  lirst  one  of 
creation,  we  are  toM  of  the  development  of  this  crea- 
tion in  matters  of  the  earth  as  well  :is  nl'  heaven. 

Thy  heaven,  oh  man,  thou  carricst  williin  thy  mind 
and  within  thy  heart!  Some  have  only  a  bit  of  it, 
ftthers,  all  the  seven  heavens  of  the  ancients:  with  some, 
it  is  clf)nded  o'er,  somlire  and  threatening ;  with  others, 
radiant  in  its  brilliancy.     Kabi)i  Akil)a  dietl  a  martyr, 


12  SABBATH   HOURS. 

after  indescribable  torture,  yet  seven  heavens  were  in 
his  heart.  Hach-ian's  life  closed  with  the  blackest  skies 
within  his  heart,  though  as  Akiba's  emperor,  he  was 
apparently  enjoying  the  greatest  earthly  prosperity. 

God  created  the  heaven  and  the  earth  ;  but  just  as  the 
earth  became  known  to  man  by  degrees,  a  large  portion 
of  it  being  discovered  after  thousands  of  years,  and 
much  still  remaining  to  be  discovered,  so  it  is  with 
heaven,  the  heaven  in  the  mind,  in  the  heart,  and  in 
social  life.  It  must  be  sought  and  found.  Progress 
means  ever  to  discover  new  heavens  within  us,  heavens 
of  knowledge  and  of  culture  of  heart  and  mind,  patience 
and  fraternity,  peaceful  and  harmonious  existence  in 
social  life,  as  well  as  in  the  intercourse  of  countries  and 
nations.  This  is  the  sevenfold  light,  these  are  the  new 
heavens  which  the  prophet  of  Messianic  times  has 
promised  us ;  and  to  approach  iiearer  and  ever  nearer  to 
them  is  the  task  of  our  mundane  existence. 


THE  SO-CALLED  FALL  OF  MAN. 

Gen.  III. 

The  Bible  suffers  from  two  opposing  parties — on  the  . 
one  hand,  from  the  simple  piety  of  tli(j.se  that  pay  it 
uu(jue.stiouing  homage ;  on  the  other,  from  its  enemies. 
Both  accept  the  words  of  Holy  Writ  in  their  literal 
sense,  even  in  those  portions  that  are  narrative  and  not 
legislative. 

The  one  cla.ss  takes  it  very  ill,  if  we  say,  "  The  word 
ha.s  a  meaning,  but  word  and  meaning  are  as  ditierent 
a.s  body  and  soul ;"  that  they  consider  the  most  pro- 
nounced heresy.  The  others  say,  "  What  absurdity  !  and 
that  is  supposed  to  be  Holy  Writ !" 

We  believe  that  when  the  Bible  commands  and  for- 
l)ids,  there  is  no  room  for  subtle  interpretations ;  there 
the  words  embody  the  full  meaning  to  be  conveyed,  and 
whoever  attempts  to  wrest  the  sense  to  suit  himself,  acts 
dishonestly  by  the  book.  But  when  the  Bil)le  clothes 
its  teachings  in  tales  and  parable^,  we  agree  with  Rashi 
that  the  words  themselves  cry  out,  "E.Ki)lain  me!" 
With  regard  to  the  verse,  Dixn  m'^in  "^DD  HI  "  Tliis 
is  the  book  of  tiie  generations  of  .\daiii."  our  sages  say: 
"So  far  JUS  the  st<;ry  of  the  creation  and  all  that  is  <'nn- 
n(!ct<'d  with  it  is  concerned,  the,  honor  of  Holy  Writ 
demands  that  we  take  a  hidden  meaning  for  granted; 
but  further  on,  where  tjuestions  of  j)ract.ical  lifi;  are 
involved,  the  honor  of  the  Scriptures  demands  an  exact 
and  literal  interpretation  of  its  contents." 

13 


14  SABBATH    HOURS. 

Thus  do  we  approach  the  task  that  we  have  set  our- 
selves for  to-day's  discourse,  the  exphmatiou  of  those 
portions  of  the  Bible  that  treat  of  the  "  fall."  (Gen.  II : 
15-17  ;  III :  1-7.) 

Let  us  say  at  once  what  meaning  they  convey  to  us. 
The  first  human  beings  lived  their  appointed  time  in 
happy  innocence.  Then  they  liegan  to  think,  and  their 
innocence  Avas  destroyed.  Doubt,  discord  between  head 
and  heart,  took  the  place  of  a  calm  spirit  and  serene 
content. 

There  is  a  way  of  thinking  that  but  reflects  the 
thoughts  of  otliers.  A  child  thinks  as  its  parents  think ; 
a  pupil  tliinks  as  the  teacher  has  taught  him  to  think ; 
an  individual  thinks  as  those  about  him  think. 

There  is  a  kind  of  thought  that  subordinates  itself  to 
the   wishes  of  the   heart,  "  the  wish  is   father  to   the 
.  thought !" 

There  is  a  kind  of  thought  that  will  make  no  conces- 
sions to  the  feelings,  but  would  rule  as  an  autocrat ;  it 
says  to  the  heart :  Repress  thy  desires,  they  do  not  please 
me.  Speculation  makes  unquestioning  enjoyment  of  life 
an  imjjossibility. 

Speculative  thought  banishes  innocence.  The  child 
is  innocent  so  long  as  it  follows  the  instincts  of  its  heart, 
and  thinks  the  thoughts  of  others.  But  no  sooner  does 
it  begin  to  think  independently,  than  its  actions  become 
good  or  evil,  it  can  no  longer  be  called  innocent.  So 
what  is  told  of  Adam  is  tlie  natural  course  of  man's  life. 
Every  human  being,  for  a  time,  lives  in  innocence,  in 
pleasant  unconsciousness  of  right  and  wrong ;  if  left  at 
liberty,  he  acts  according  to  the  dictates  of  his  heart, 
and  enjoys  his  existence. 


THE  SO-CALLED   FALL   OP  MAN.  15 

As  the  young  child  ueed  not  trouble  itself  about  its 
sustenance,  since  it  is  given  to  it,  so  with  its  thoughts : 
it  thinks  whatever  is  given  it  to  think.  A  child  of  a 
quarrelsome  disposition  may  manifest  it  at  an  early  age, 
it  is  true,  and  live  at  variance  with  those  about  it;  may 
be  ea.sily  fretted  and  angered  and  excited,  but  within 
its  heart  every  child  is  at  peace  with  itself  No  sooner 
has  independent  thought  asserted  itself  than  heart  and 
reason,  inclination  and  duty,  gratification  aud  remoi-se 
battle  for  supremacy.  Before  thought  awakens,  we  live 
at  peace  with  ourselves ;  but  awakening  thought  drives 
us  out  of  the  paradise  of  childhood,  to  which  we  may 
never  return. 

This  Bible-story  does  not  betray  a  disturbance  in  the 
plan  of  creation,  as  if  God  hud  had  some  other  iuten- 
tious  concerning  man,  and  these  had  been  frustrated  by 
the  sinfulness  of  Adam.  It  raises  the  veil,  and  dis- 
covers to  us  the  underlying  idea  of  the  plan  of  the 
Almighty. 

It  is  true,  it  is  a  great  deal  pleasanter  to  abide  in 
ignorance,  at  peace  with  ourselves.  We  live  nuich 
more  calmly,  more  content  with  ourselves  and  tlie 
world,  when  we  do  not  think,  or  if  we  tjiink,  think 
as  others  do.  It  is  niiich  more  conducive  to  peace  to 
know  little.  Learning  ami  knowledge,  iuipiiry  and 
introspection  bring  nnich  dis(iui(;t  into  (uie's  own  heart 
and  into  the  world.  The  Preacher  says,  "He  that 
increa-seth  kn(jwledge  increaseth  pain,"  and  the  German 
prince  of  poets : 

"Who  til  inks  not  of  the  morrow, 
To  him  life  liriiijjH  itH  ^liftH, 
And  yet  he's  free  from  sorrow." 


16  SABBATH   HOURS. 

The  inuoceiice  of  not  thinking,  of  artlessness  is,  upon 
closer  consideration,  not  quite  so  charming  as  it  would 
appear.  The  child  is  guileless,  sweet  and  good,  because 
it  is  too  weak  to  do  any  harm,  and  because  its  parents 
and  guardians  watch  over  it  that  it  may  not  abuse  what 
streno-tli  it  lias.  But  when  the  natural  innocence  of  not 
thinking  has  grown  great  and  strong,  and  can  no  longer 
be  watched,  then  Avoe  to  such  simplicity  and  to  its  sur- 
roundings !  Innocence,  sentiment,  but  not  reasoning,  is 
the  attribute  of  a  savage.  The  savage  is  a  grown  child. 
The  savage,  like  the  child,  follows  his  instincts ;  he  is 
not  troubled  and  unsettled  by  thought.  And  like  the 
child,  the  savage  is  self-satisfied,  he  niay  wade  in  blood, 
but  he  feels  none  the  less  innocent.  Not  only  those 
that  we  call  such  are  savages.  Whoever  allows  himself 
to  be  guided  only  by  his  feelings  and  instincts,  and  has 
not  partaken  of  the  tree  of  knowledge,  is  a  species  of 
savage.  Were  all  men  but  children,  mature  only  in 
years,  we  would  have  no  villages,  no  towns, —  only  wig- 
wams. 

No  ;  innocence  is  becoming  only  as  long  as  man  lacks 
the  power  to  do  harm.  As  the  years  go  by,  bringing 
strength  to  man  in  their  flight,  thought,  the  serpent,  the 
symbol  of  the  ancients  for  eternity  and  wisdom,  rears 
its  head,  and  man  enjoys  the  fruits  of  the  tree  of  knowl- 
edge. He  is  no  longer  a  child,  existing  in  innocence, 
not  knowing  what  is  good  and  what  evil ;  he  is  a  divine 
being,  rising  above  nature;  he  knows  good  fi'om  evil,  and 
can  regulate  his  life  accordingly. 

At  what  period  does  this  change  take  place  ?  In  our 
religion,  thirteen  is  the  age  assumed  for  the  male  sex, 
and  twelve  for  the  more  rapidly  maturing  female  sex,  as 


THE  SO-CALLED  FALL  OF   JL\.N.  17 

the  boundary  between  irresponsible  innocence,  which 
eschews  thought,  and  the  responsibility  imposed  by  the 
consciousness  that  independent  thought  may  be  exer- 
cised. Of  course,  this  is  only  an  ajiproximate  boundary 
line,  for  many  a  one  may  grow  hoary,  nor  cast  off  the 
innocence  of  ignorance. 

Our  story  draws  a  picture  of  the  human  race  at  the 
very  dawn  of  the  history  of  mankind — not  its  fall, 
which  the  Church  teaches  as  a  fuudunientid  truth,  but 
on  the  contrary,  its  elevation.  On  the  one  hand,  it  dis- 
closes the  paradise  of  innocence  :  life  without  moral 
restraints,  truth  withcnit  investigation,  thoughts  with- 
out thinking,  gratification  without  remorse;  no  warn- 
ing, no  prohibitory  laws,  not  even  a  sense  of  shame 
to  restrain  enjoyment.  "  Of  every  tree  of  the  garden 
thou  mayest  freely  eat."  But  then  there  is  the  picture 
of  the  tree  that  man  is  warned  not  to  touch.  This  is 
the  tree  of  thought.  If  thou  partakcst  of  its  fruits, 
thou  wilt  be  like  unto  a  divine  being;  tlmu  wilt  thiidc 
independently  of  parents,  of  teachers  and  of  the  times ; 
thou  wilt  know  good  from  evil.  But  I  warn  thee, 
dearly  must  thou  pay  for  it.  Thought  gnaws  like  a 
worm  at  all  thy  pleasures;  the  innocent  ciiild  witliin 
thee  will  die,  and  thou  wilt  become  aa  a  different 
being  ! 

But  of  all  trees,  this  very  one  attracts  man  wiih  irre- 
sistible power.     lie  partakes  of  the  fruit,  and  |)ays  tlif  « 
pfiialty.     The   careless,    thoughtless,  joyous   Adam    is 
fl(;ad  ;  in    his  phu"e,  we  see  a  serious  man,  upon   whose 
brow  earnest  thought  is  mirrored. 

It  was  not  intended  that  man's  fate  should  be  charac- 
terized  by  the  unbroken  regularity  of  the  development 
8 


18  SABBATH   HOURS. 

of  the  floAvcr  of  the  field,  or  of  tlie  course  of  the  stars  in 
the  heavens.  Thought  aud  feeling  were  to  hattle  within 
him,  and  thought  with  thought.  The  keen  edge  of 
reason  was  to  clip  the  wings  of  feeling,  and  the  warm 
heart  was  to  give  of  its  warnitli  to  cold,  cruel,  uncom- 
promising Reason,  and  coax  it  gently  into  harmony  with 
life.  That  which  we  have  lost,  the  harmony  of  childhood 
in  the  years  of  innocence,  we  are  to  find  again  in  the 
reconciliation  of  thought  and  feeling,  Tliis  recovered 
harmony,  which  is  our  own  merit,  even  though  it  he 
imperfect,  is  worth  far  more  than  the  perfect  one  which 
was  given  to  us,  and  which  we  lost  with  childhood. 

We  cannot  deny  that  the  tenor  of  the  tale  in  question 
is  suggestive  rather  of  loss  than  of  gain  to  humanity ; 
and  here,  as  elsewhere,  the  wisdom  of  the  people  is 
proved  in  their  proverb  :  "  Not  all  is  gold  that  glitters." 
Thought  is  a  double-edged  sword,  which  ofttimes  wounds 
the  thinker,  and  brings  misery  and  unhappiness  not  only 
to  him,  but  to  the  world  at  large.  It  can  transform  rich, 
luxuriant  fields,  the  scene  of  joyous  existence,  into  a 
bleak,  barren  desert.  However,  the  means  to  prevent 
such  misfortune  is  also  mentioned.  Man  is  told,  "In 
the  sweat  of  thy  brow  shalt  thou  eat  bread."  When 
the  years  of  innocence  have  flown,  and  thought  begins 
to  hold  sway,  give  the  boy  work,  and  work  also  thou  as 
long  as  thou  hast  strength,  even  to  old  age.  Labor  is  a 
^  panacea  for  all  ills;  it  keeps  sound  hearts  healthy,  :ind 
heals  suflering  ones ;  it  keeps  thought  within  l)ounds, 
preventing  it  from  straying  off  into  unjjrofitable  regions. 
Every  thinker  ought  also  to  be  an  artisan  of  some  kind, 
and  every  laborer  a  thinker. 

Woman,  too  weak  physically,  too  sensitive  in  nature 


THE  SO-CALLED    FALL   OF    MAN.  19 

and  disposition,  to  battle  for  daily  bread  in  the  cruel 
world,  takes  upon  herself  the  responsibilities  of  mother- 
hood, and  the  greater  part  of  the  cares,  troubles  and 
burdens  of  the  home  and  the  bringing  up  of  the  chil- 
dren, which  latter,  alas  !  often  (>ntails  anxiety  and  sorrow. 
She  devotes  herself  to  her  children,  and  sacrifices  herself 
for  them  all  her  life ;  and  this  complete  devotion  of 
heart  and  soul  and  thought  to  her  maternal  duties  pro- 
tects her  equally  from  temptations  of  the  heart  and  from 
undisciplined  thoughts.  Intelligent  mothers  are  the 
greatest  blessing  of  the  human  race. 

As  our  first  mother  induced  the  first  man  to  eat  of 
the  fi-uit  of  the  tree  of  knowledge  ;  as  once  choruses  of 
women  animated  David  to  immortal  deeds,  and  drove 
a  king,  whom  they  did  not  praise,  to  despair  ;  as  the 
homage  of  wonuxn  was  the  one  bright  spot  and  the 
moral  support  of  the  knights  in  the  darkness  of  the 
Middle  Ages,  so  even  to-day  nuich  of  wliat  men  do  that 
is  worth  doing  can  be  traced  to  (lie  importance  wliich 
they  attach  to  the  approval  of  noble  women.  ^^'hcncv<M• 
we  meet  a  man  wlio  is  distinguished  in  mind  mikI  deeds 
above  his  fellow-men,  we  may  saiely  couchide  that  the 
spirit  of  an  intelligent  mother  lives  in  him,  a  mother 
that  guided  her  son  to  the  tree  of  knowledge. 

Now,  that  thought  may  not  comi)letcly  control  man, 
to  the  exclusion  of  lieurt  and  fi-eling,  tiie  iiai  lativc  goes 
on  to  say :  "And  I  will  pnl  eiimity  between  thee  and 
the  serpent,  and  ixitween  thy  see<l  Mnd  its  seed;  tlimi 
shalt  bruise  its  head  and  it  shall  brni.-e  tiiy  heel."  And 
what  is  the  world's  history  but  a  continnous  warfare 
between  wisdom  and  stupidity,  passion  and  self-control, 
sound  jn<lgment  and   ])rejiulice,  civilizati(»n  and  savage 


20  SABBATH   HOURS. 

instincts?  How  often  is  the  head  of  wisdom  trodden 
upon,  and  how  often  do  critical  thought  and  linical 
deliberation  drag  upon  the  heel  of  noble  impulses ! 

No,  it  is  not  a  fall  of  which  Ave  read.  A  being  as 
perfect  as  is  our  God  would  not  create  an  order  of 
things  so  frail  and  destructible  that  the  first  man  could 
disorganize  the  entire  system. 

The  story  is  rather  a  mirror  of  the  noble  impulses  of 
man ;  of  his  striving  after  knowledge  and  enlightenment ; 
of  his  efforts  to  comprehend  the  causes  of  things ;  of  his 
attempts  to  demolish  every  barrier  opposing  his  progress 
towards  knowledge;  of  his  desire  for  possessions  that 
floods  cannot  wash  away  and  flames  cannot  consume, 
and  for  this  we  must  not  blame  Adam  and  Eve,  our  first 
parents,  but  rather  praise  our  God. 


THE  SENSE  OF  SHAME. 

Gen.  III. 

It  is  a  matter  of  course  that  the  owner  of  a  house, 
W'hicli  he  himself  has  built,  of  which  he  has  laid  the 
foundation.s,  and  in  which  he  has  always  lived,  knows 
more  about  it  than  any  stranger  who  has  merely  passed 
through  its  rooms ;  it  is  equally  self-evident  that  even 
an  ignorant  shepherd-lad  is  a  better  guide  in  his  native 
village  than  a  philosopher  from  afar ;  that  a  manufac- 
turer is  more  familiar  with  his  own  productions  than  all 
or  any  of  his  customers,  no  matter  how  expert  they  may 
be. 

The  Bible  is  the  holy  edifice  of  the  children  of  Israel ; 
the  fcjrefathers  laid  its  foundations,  the  sons  completed 
it,  and  for  many  centuries,  tli rough  good  and  evil  days, 
they  have  dwelt  in  it  in  faith.  In  this  edifice,  then, 
they  ought  to  feel  at  home.  But  one  day  there  came 
the  Greeks,  the  Romans,  the  Egyptians ;  then  the  Ger- 
manic tribes,  tlic  Goths  and  Vandals;  and  hitcr  on  the 
Arabs,  tent-dwellers  and  camel-drivers.  The  former 
came  from  their  lecture-halls,  their  minds  full  of  fan- 
tastic theories,  whicli,  in  their  schools  of  philosophy, 
passed  for  wisdom,  and  the  latter  came  directly  Cnmi 
the  superstitions  of  idolatry.  But  they  all  chose  our 
Book  as  the  text-book  of  their  faith,  and  moreover  pre- 
tended to  know  an  interpretation  thereof  truer  than  our 

21 


22  SABBATH   HOURS. 

own.  This  explains  the  difference  between  our  religion 
and  theirs.  The  new  devotees  of  the  Bible,  coming 
from  foreign  regions  of  thought,  built  their  new  religion 
upon  the  old  substructure,  without  a  thorough  knowledge 
of  the  foundations,  of  the  quality  of  the  materials,  and 
of  the  plan. 

The  new  worshippers  read  the  Bible  in  its  transla- 
tions :  the  Ronums,  in  Latin  ;  the  Greeks,  in  the  Greek 
tongue ;  the  Arab  chief  could  not  read  at  all,  nor  could 
any  of  the  Germanic,  the  so-called  bai-barian  accessions 
of  the  Church. 

The  book,  read  in  a  foreign  tongue,  Avas  also  inter- 
preted in  a  foreign  spirit.  The  word  of  the  Bible  was 
taken  in  its  verbal  meaning,  and  adhered  to  literally. 

Unsatisfactory  as  the  translation  of  Hebrew  into  for- 
eign languages  must  necessarily  be,  yet  is  it  a  far  easier 
task  than  the  translation  of  the  spirit  of  the  Bible  into 
the  spirit  of  Rome  and  Byzantium.  The  text  of  the 
Bible  was  but  inadequately  reproduced,  and  its  t^pirit 
suffered  still  more.  This  is  exemplified  in  the  portion  of 
the  Torah  read  to-day — the  tale  of  the  fall,  as  the 
Church  calls  it,  wliich  it  utilizes  as  the  corner-stone  of 
its  new  ediftce.  Paradise,  the  tree  of  life,  the  tree  of 
knowledge,  the  serpent  which  speaks  and  beguiles  the 
woman,  the  woman  who  tempts  her  husband  to  sin,  the 
hiding  from  God,  the  curse  and  the  punishment,  the 
expulsion  from  paradise—  every  Avord  was  interpreted 
literally  by  the  Church,  and  whatever  spirit  was  infused 
into  it,  was  introduced  from  foreign  sources. 

The  rabbis  tell  us  that  there  are  forty-nine  different 
methods  of  interpreting  a  single  word  or  verse  in  the 
Bible,  and  that  no  one  of  these  is  binding  as  a  dogma  of 


THE  SENSE   OF  SHAME.  23 

faith.  lu  I.-^niel,  too,  have  been  attempted  manifold 
explanations  of  the  chapter  in  question,  some  of  which 
differ  from  one  another  as  materially  as  sense  differs 
from  iKmsense.  But  no  one  takes  exception,  no  one 
is  branded  as  a  heretic,  no  matter  which  of  them  be 
accepted.  Years  ago,  Ave  took  occasion  to  sjieak  in  this 
same  temple,  about  this  chapter,  combating  its  inter- 
pretation as  the  fall  of  man.  To-day,  we  will  confine 
ourselves  to  the  consideration  of  a  means  of  grace,  which 
is  incidentally  mentioned  in  the  narrative  as  having 
grown  out  of  the  indulgence  in  the  forbidden  fruit. 

Among  the  chief  characteristics  that  distinguish  the 
human  being  from  the  brute,  we  generally  include  his 
erect  carriage,  his  capacity  for  thought  and  speech,  free- 
dom of  will,  and  C(jnscience.  Many  include  the  power 
to  laugli  and  weep,  and  we  may,  with  still  more  justice, 
add  the  sense  of  shame.  Man  is  the  only  being  in  the 
animal  world  that  feels  shame;  we  need  not,  as  the 
rabbis  think,  learn  it  from  cats.  It  is  singular  that,  of 
all  the  commeiitattn's  of  the  Bible  in  past  and  recent 
times,  none  has  given  heed  to  this  circumstance,  which 
is  so  prominently  brought  forward  in  the  tale  under  dis- 
cussion. After  the  first  beings — so  goes  the  story — had 
(!at(!n  of  the  tree  of  knowledge;  that  is,  had  begun  to 
think,  the  sense  of  shame  a])j)eared  as  the  first  conse- 
<|uence.  Two  lniMian  beings  dwelt  upon  the  earth,  and 
they  felt  shame  in  each  other's  presence,  and  sewed  fig- 
leaves  together  to  cover  their  nakedness.  But  despite 
this,  they  still  were  ashamed  in  the  presence  of  fJod, 
and  wh(!n  he  called  them  they  were  afraid,  and  hid  them- 
selves. Wv  ai'e  further  tol<l  that  fJod  gav<!  man  labor 
aa  a  safeguard  against  unbriillccj   thought  and  action, 


24  8ABBATH  HOURS. 

and  toward  the  end  it  says :  "  God  made  garments  of 
skins,  and  clotlied  them." 

In  a  Torah  manuscript,  written  by  Kabbi  Meir,  the 
reading,  "  a  garment  of  light,"  was  found  in  a  marginal 
note.  And  truly,  Avhere,  in  the  first  days  of  creation 
could  the  furs  or  skins  of  beasts  have  been  found? 
However,  it  matters  not  whether  we  grossly  say  "  skins," 
or  more  spiritually,  "  garment  of  light,"  the  point  under 
consideration  is  the  reference  to  the  sense  of  shame, 
which  is  awakened  by  thought. 

Few  are  conscious  of  the  heavenly  gift  they  possess  in 
the  sense  of  shame,  of  the  angel  of  mercy  that  follows 
and  o-uards  them  through  life.  The  consciousness  of  the 
wickedness  of  sin  in  itself,  its  evil  results,  fear  of  heav- 
enly and  earthly  punishment — all  taken  together  are 
not  so  much  protection  to  man  against  degeneration  and 
excesses,  as  is  the  sense  of  shame. 

When  the  barriers  that  protect  virtue  and  morality 
fall,  the  sense  of  shame  is  the  last  to  give  way.  Woe  be 
to  the  man  that  feels  no  shame,  to  him  who,  like  the  bold 
ones  Isaiah  laments  about,  "  Like  Sodom,  tell  openly 
their  sin,  and  conceal  it  not."  Among  the  three  laudable 
characteristics  of  Israel,  our  sages  mention  the  feeling 
of  shame.  The  sense  of  shame  is  the  patent  of  nobility 
of  the  descendants  of  Abraham.  They  further  say, 
"They  Avho  are  ashamed  arc  not  inclined  to  sin." 

Shame  felt  in  the  presence  of  others  is  the  lowest 
degree ;  but  this  lowest  step  is  the  most  important,  for 
all  the  others  depend  upon  it.  Who  does  not  begin  at 
the  bottom,  cannot  reach  the  top.  Therefore,  be  it  not 
said,  "  He  who  does  not  feel  shame  in  the  presence  of 
God,  should  not  feel  shame  in  the  presence  of  man  ;  who 


THE  SENSE  OF  SHAME.  25 

sins  in  secret  should  have  the  courage  openly  to  admit 
it,  and  who  does  this  not  will  be  accounted  a  hypo- 
crite." The  lowest  degree  of  shame  should  be  cultivated 
until  the  higher  one  is  attained.  It  is  well  to  throw 
round  one's  self  the  safeguards  of  shame,  even  in  one's 
own  family  circle.  Parents  should  be  ashamed  to  talk 
and  act  recklessly  befoi'e  their  children.  Husband  and 
wife  should  feel  shame  in  the  presence  of  each  other, 
even  as  Adam  and  Eve  were  ashamed. 

It  is  well  to  have  the  utmost  consideration  for  the 
feeling  of  shame  and  delicacy  in  children.  Better  cor- 
poral punishment  than  insults  and  scoldings  that 
degrade  them  in  their  own  eyes,  and  dull  their  sense 
of  shame.  Every  laborer,  and  be  he  of  the  lowest  class, 
has  feelings  of  delicacy  which  his  employer  is  bound  to 
respect.  Even  a  beggar  has  some  sense  of  shame  left, 
his  last  trea.su re ;  and  far  more  does  this  apply  to  the 
needy  who  will  not  beg.  Respect  their  sense  of  shame 
as  well. 

The  next  higher  step  is  to  feel  ashamed  of  one's 
self  within  one's  own  heart,  to  be  forced  to  say  to  one's 
self:  Though  no  (me  knows  how  wicked  thy  thoughts  and 
actions  are,  thou  knowest  it ;  thou  Host,  thou  llatterest, 
thou  art  false,  thou  are  uncharital)lc,  thou  are  dishonest, 
thy  hidden  paths  of  sin  are  beneath  human  dignity. 
Be  ashamed,  oh  man,  to  face  thyself.  As  the  sense  of 
shame  leads  men  to  cover  their  faults  with  fig-leaves 
before  their  fellow-men,  so  it  leads  them  to  justify  their 
faults  in  their  own  eyes. 

There  is  tlnis  a  still  higher  degree  of  shame,  shame 
in  the  presence  of  God.  Before  the  eye  of  God,  wliat 
avails  the  fig-leaf?     Man  stands  there  in  a  "  garment  of 


26  SABBATH    HOURS. 

light;"  all  his  faults  show  tlirouirh  it,  every  blemish  in  his 
character  is  ai)i)arent.  Beforethe  all-seeing  eyeof  God,  the 
Holy  One,  all  assumption  of  goodness  vanishes,  the  mask 
falls  and  every  equivocation,  every  excuse  which  suffices 
to  still  our  conscience,  stands  revealed  in  its  true  light. 
Indeed  we  who  like  to  call  ourselves  his  children,  ought 
to  be  sincerely  ashamed  in  our  Father's  presence,  doubly- 
asliamed  to  sin  and  then  cover  our  sin  with  the  fig- 
leaves  of  sophistry,  falsehood  and  hypocrisy. 

Well  for  him  who  need  not  hide  in  fear,  when  he 
heai-s  in  his  conscience  the  call  of  God :  "  Man,  where 
art  thou?  thy  God  seeks  thee!"  And  yet,  it  is  well 
with  him  Avho  still  has  the  grace  to  hide  and  be  ashamed 
of  his  sin  in  the  presence  of  God. 

As  every  gift  of  God  is  exposed  to  abuse,  so  the 
sense  of  shame.  Such  abuse  is  termed  false  shame, 
false  pride.  We  are  ashamed  to  learn ;  we  hide  our 
lack  of  knowledge  under  a  fig-leaf,  and  so  cover  up  our 
ignorance.  We  are  ashamed  to  correct  a  mistake,  to 
admit  to  ourselves,  and  certainly  to  others,  tliat  we  have 
been  guilty  of  a  wrong,  and  we  prefer  to  continue  in 
ignorance,  in  the  old  faults  and  mistakes.  We  are 
a.shanied  to  subordinate  ourselves,  to  obey,  and  we 
ad(jrn  ourselves  with  the  fig-leaf  of  proud  independence, 
often  quite  unjustifiably.  We  are  ashamed  to  toil  with 
our  hands,  with  which  it  was  intended  that  we  should 
lal)or,  and  make  the  earth  habital)le  for  man.  We  are 
not  ashamed  to  be  seen  with  hands  idly  folded  during 
the  hours  of  toil.  AVe  are  not  ashamed,  though  we  be 
young  and  strong,  to  seek  aid,  humbly  and  cringingly 
to  beg  for  assistance,  and  thus  forfeit  our  dignity;  but 
we  would  be  intensely  mortified  to  be  seen  with  a  burden 


THE  SENSE  OF  SHAME.  27 

upon  our  shoulders,  with  an  axe  or  a  shovel  in  our  hand, 
honestly  toiling  for  our  daily  bread.  Decked  in 
borrowed  finery,  unpaid  jewels  and  ornaments,  we  do 
not  shrink,  in  the  presence  of  our  rich  friends,  from 
boasting  of  out  counterfeit  wealth.  But  we  would  be 
inexpressibly  ashamed  of  being  found  living  according 
to  our  means,  with  shabby,  but  untorn,  cleanly  and 
honestly  gotten  clothing  and  furniture,  and  associating 
with  people  in  similar  circumstances.  Tins  false  shame 
has  done,  and  continues  to  do,  a  great  deal  of  harm. 

We  have  deteetor.-i  to  discover  the  base  coin  among  the 
true.  Our  virtues  are  the  genuine  gold  coins  in  the 
media  of  exchange  between  men  on  earth,  as  well  as  our 
viaticum  on  the  journey  to  the  world  beyond.  But 
anu)ng  the  virtues,  as  in  everything  else,  not  all  is  gold 
that  glitters ;  in  the  practice  of  virtue,  too,  we  need  a 
detector  to  distinguish  the  false  from  the  true,  genuine 
virtue  from  its  counterfeit.  This  is  true  concerning  all 
the  virtues,  but  particularly  of  the  sense  of  shame. 

In  conclusion,  we  turn  once  more  to  our  inti'oductory 
words.  We  remarked  that  our  interpretation  of  the 
Bible  and  its  misinterpretation  on  the  i)art  of  others 
mark  the  line  of  division  between  our  faith  and  the 
newer  religions.  The  understanding  of  the  Bible 
depends  upon  oiii-  knowledge  of  it  in  the  original. 
ICvery  translation  is  but  the  translator's  exposition  of  his 
own  conception.  \\f  Israelites  would  have  to  be 
ashamed  of  our  pretension  to  tlie  truer  understanding, 
were  the;  ability  to  rea<l  tiie  divine  Book  in  the  oriirinal 
to  become  its  rare  among  us  as  it  was  among  the  pio- 
neers of  the  n(!wer  religions  and  tlu!  later  worshij)pers  of 
the  Book.     Not  only  are  we  ow  I  he  point  of  losing  this 


28  SABBATH   HOURS. 

ability  to  read  it  in  the  original,  but  the  masses  of  our 
fellow-believers  seem  more  and  more  inclined  to  ignore 
their  ancient  religious  documents,  even  in  their  transla- 
tion. Alcibiades  one  day  asked  a  schoolmaster  to  lend 
liim  his  Homer.  "  I  have  none."  "  What !  you,  a 
teacher,  and  no  Homer  in  your  house?"  and  in  his 
indignant  anger,  the  boy  so  far  forgot  himself  as  to 
strike  the  old  man.  Again,  thou  art  an  Israelite,  and 
hast  no  Bible  in  thy  library?  Thou  belongest  to  a 
faith  that  prides  itself  upon  being  the  nations'  teacher 
in  matters  of  religion,  and  dost  not  know  thy  own  text- 
book ?  It  is  true,  under  the  present  circumstances,  not 
every  one  can  hope  to  be  able  to  read  and  understand 
the  Bible  in  the  original ;  in  fact,  the  great  majority 
must  be  debarred  therefrom.  All  the  more  ought  every- 
one to  feel  bound  to  support  any  institution  whose  object 
it  is  to  counteract  this  evil,  so  that  at  least  the  leaders 
and  chosen  ones  of  every  Jewish  congregation  will  pre- 
serve in  Israel  the  inherited,  true,  pure  spirit  of  the 
Bible. 

Sense  of  shame,  thou  divine  messenger,  thou  guar- 
dian spirit  of  virtue,  do  not  forsake  us !  Be  our  good 
angel  in  all  our  ways,  in  our  journeys,  in  storm  and  in 
sunshine,  until  we  safely  land  upon  the  shores  of  eter- 
nity. 


CAIN  AND  ABEL. 

Gen.  IV. 
"  God  is  with  me,  I  do  not  fear." 

There  is  a  distinction  between  "  God  is  "  and  "  God  is 
with  me ;"  we  may  believe  in  the  existence  of  God,  and 
yet  feel  forsaken  of  God.  Happy  he  that  can  devoutly 
exclaim,  from  the  bottom  of  his  heart :  "  God  is  with 
me."  AVoe  to  him  who,  like  Saul,  in  dull  despair  ex- 
claims: "God  has  forsaken  me;  he  answereth  me  not 
even  in  my  dreams !" 

How  can  man  know  whether  God  is  with  him  or  not? 
We  are  led  to  this  question  by  the  subject  of  to-day's 
Scriptural  portion. 

Cain  and  Abel  each  brought  God  an  offering.  "And 
the  Lord  had  respect  unto  Abel  and  to  his  offering,  but 
unto  Cain  and  to  his  offering  he  had  not  respect,  and 
Cain  was  very  wroth  and  his  countenance  fell." 

Who  told  Cain,  how  did  he  know  that  CJod  had  not 
respect  unto  his  offering?  One  of  the  explanations 
given  by  the  early  ral)bis  is  tliat  fires  from  heaven 
fjcvoured  Abel's  offering,  ;iiid  left  Cain's  untouched. 
A  more  recent  commentator  indicates  the  answer  in  an 
illustrated  edition  of  the  Bible.  The  smoke  from  Abel's 
sacrificial  altar  is  seen  to  ri.se  straight  to  liBitven,  I)iit  the 
smoke  from  Cain's  offering  is  blown  sideways  by  tlio 
wind.     Such  explanations  are  smoke  themselves,  and 

29 


30  SABBATH   HOURS. 

only  dim  the  clear  vision  of  tlie  reader  of  Holy  Writ. 
To  know  whether  God  is  content  with  us,  we  need  neither 
watch  the  smoke  of  the  ofierin<f,  nor  wait  for  fires  from 
heaven;  we  need  only  look  into  our  own  hearts;  if 
there  we  liud  that  we  are  content  with  God,  we  have 
the  happy  consciousness  that  God  is  content  with  u^! ; 
he  who  can  say  "S  'jx,  I  am  the  Lord's,  can  also  say 
'h  ",  the  Lord  is  with  me  ! 

The  tale  of  the  first  two  brothers  is  taken  from  life ; 
not  from  the  remote,  obsolete  life  of  antediluvian  times, 
but  from  the  fresh  stream  of  life,  surging  about  us  to-day. 
No  malicious,  envious,  god-forsaken  man  is  satisfied  with 
himself,  or  his  fellow-men,  or  his  fate,  or  the  course  of 
things  in  general ;  and  whoever  is  at  strife  with  himself, 
soured  and  embittered  in  spirit,  is  of  the  opinion  that 
God  has  forsaken  him,  and  that  there  is  no  justice  in 
the  world.  The  gnawing  worm  of  discontent  and  the 
ansrels  of  contentment  do  not  ask  what  a  man's  station 
may  be ;  to  them  it  is  immaterial  whether  he  is  rich  or 
poor,  learned  or  ignorant,  king  or  subject;  they  take 
cotrnizance  onlv  of  hearts,  not  of  ranks.  There  are 
those  that  are  sated,  yet  dissatisfied,  and  others  that  are 
content  though  starving.  A  good,  honest  man,  a  duti- 
ful laborer  or  business  man  will,  when  his  work  is  done, 
.sit  at  the  table  with  his  wife  and  children,  in  the  one 
modest  room  he  calls  home.  Content  if  the  hunger  of 
all  be  appeased,  he  rises,  thinking :  "  God  has  helped 
me  to-day,  he  will  help  again  to-morrow ;  God  is  with 
me,  I  do  not  fear."  It  does  not  occur  to  him  to  think 
that  God  has  ijprsaken  him,  that  God  is  displeased  with 
him,  that  he  suffei^s  unjustly.  Instead  of  making  the 
old-time  offering,  he  prays  to  the  Lord ;    nor  does  he 


CAIX   AND   ABEL.  31 

think :    "  How  can  I  pray  to  a  God  that  pays  no  atten- 
tion to  my  prayer?" 

The  Church  puts  the  words  of  the  Psalmist  into  the 
mouth  of  its  founder,  "  My  God,  my  God,  wherefore 
hast  thou  forsaken  me?"  Our  martyrs  did  not  so 
exclaim  in  their  hours  of  torture,  when  the  flames  were 
rising  about  them  at  the  stake.  Even  in  the  throes  of 
death,  and  in  death  itself,  they  did  not  believe  them- 
selves forsaken  of  God.  They  did  not  expire  saying, 
"My  God,  my  God,  why  hast  thou  forsaken  me?"  but 
with  "  Sh'ma  Israel  "  u\k)u  their  lips. 

In  tiie  tale  of  Ral)l)i  Akiba's  martyrdom,  we  are  told 
that  he  rejoiced  in  his  painful  death,  as  an  opportunity 
to  seal  with  his  life-blood  the  averment  that  he  had 
made  twice  every  day  :  "  Thou  shalt  love  tlie  Eternal, 
thy  God,  with  all  thy  heart,  with  thy  life,  and  with  all 
thy  goods." 

Cain  was  a  farmer;  his  farm  was  as  large  as  the 
whole  earth.  80  far  as  his  condition,  his  outer  life,  was 
concerned,  he  might  well  live  content,  and  say:  "God 
is  with  me!"  But  of  what  use  was  all  this?  His 
i)rother  was  as  calm  and  happy  and  contented  as  is 
every  good  man  that  is  satislicd  with  himscll',  with  his 
fate  and  with  his  (Jod.  p^verything  seemed  to  go  well 
with  his  brother;  he  was  equally  composed  in  success 
and  failure,  always  even-tempered  and  happy.  With 
this  condition  Cain  compared  his  own  wretclied  state  of 
ininri ;  in  the  light  of  the  contrast,  his  calling  and  work 
seemed  trivial.  That  which,  in  his  brother's  hand, 
became  refreshing  wine,  in  his  own  seemed  to  sour  into 
vinegar,  or  to  turn  to  bitter  gall.  Then  he  thought. 
"God    docs   not   love   me,   he  hates  me;    my  ollering 


32  SABBATH   HOURS, 

does  not  please  him.  My  brother  is  his  favorite ;  his 
offering  has  fonnd  favor  in  the  eyes  of  God."  And 
embittered  as  he  Avas,  he  took  the  first  opportunity, 
offered  by  a  dispute  in  the  field,  to  deal  the  fatal  blow, 
and  he  became  a  murderer. 

"  The  wicked  looketh  out  for  his  righteous,  and 
seeketh  to  slay  him,"  says  the  Psalmist.  That  is  one  of 
life's  truths,  first  proved  in  Cain,  and  it  has  continued 
to  be  proved  through  all  generations.  He  that  is  dis- 
satisfied with  himself  is  no  longer  content  with  God,  or 
the  world,  or  his  own  brother.  He  is  not  with  God,  and 
therefore  God  is  not  with  him.  In  his  eyes  everyone  is 
happier  than  he,  more  favored  by  God  than  himself. 

Let  us  ask :  "  How  is  nobility  of  heart  manifested, 
and  what  brings  genuine,  lasting  happiness  to  the 
heart?"  To  take,  to  accept  without  giving  in  return,  if 
on  account  of  poverty,  is  bitter ;  if  from  motives  of  ava- 
rice— show  me  the  covetous  man  whose  face  is  not  fallen, 
like  Cain's,  in  whose  features  we  cannot  read :  "  Here 
dwells  neither  contentment  nor  happiness !"  Neither  to 
give  nor  take,  but  to  live  only  for  one's  self,  is  the  man- 
ner of  low  natures ;  or,  as  we  read  in  the  Ethics  of  the 
Fathers,  is  the  fashion  of  the  lords  of  Sodom  and  Go- 
morrah. It  is  sweet  to  give,  to  sacrifice.  If  husband 
and  wife,  if  parents  and  children,  live  and  sacrifice  for 
one  another,  they  will  feel  divine  bliss  in  so  doiug ;  this 
happiness  is  augmented  where  there  exists  strength  and 
opportunity  to  extend  help  and  kindness  beyond  the 
home,  out  into  the  endless  world  of  suffering  humanity. 
Even  the  most  selfish  of  men  cannot  so  completely  iso- 
late himself,  but  that  he  will  sometimes  be  called  upon 
to  make  a  sacrifice  in  honor  of  God  or  in  the  interest  of 


CAIN   AND   ABEL.  33 

humanity ;  but  he  will  bring  his  sacrifice  tardily,  and 
in  a  surly,  grudging  spirit.  So  it  was  with  Cain  :  "  in 
process  of  time,"  after  he  had  stored  harvest  upon  harvest, 
he  determined  to  sacrifice  some  of  his  superfluity  in  grati- 
tude to  God,  the  Giver ;  but  of  Al)el  we  are  told  that 
he  brought  "  of  the  firstlings  of  his  flock  and  the  fat 
thereof" 

When  people  give  with  trembling  hands  and  "  in  pro- 
cess of  time,"  we  may  know  that  they  are  selfish,  avari- 
cious, hard-hearted.  The  noble  ones,  the  Abels,  do  not 
delay  their  gifts  and  sacrifices  until  they  have  enough  ■ 
and  more  than  enough  themselves,  but  they  give  and 
sacrifice  of  their  earnings  soon,  because  giving,  sacri- 
ficing for  others,  is  their  greatest  happiness.  They  do 
not  fear  that  giving  may  impoverish  them,  that  they 
themselves  may  want,  for  "  God  is  with  me,  I  do  not 
fear."  They  do  not,  after  the  manner  of  Cain,  "  in  pro- 
cess of  time,"  come  to  the  house  of  God,  and,  by  their 
presence,  sacrifice  an  hour  to  God  ;  but  they  appear 
before  God,  and  can  spare  an  hour  i'or  worship,  even  one 
of  their  remunerative  hours.  They  do  not  say,  like 
Cain:  "Am  I  my  l)rother's  keeper?  My  brother  does 
not  concern  me;  I  have  myself  to  look  after."  It  gives 
thera  pleasure  to  be  kind  to  their  brother,  and  to  protect 
him  from  evil.  Thus  are  we  content  within  ourselves; 
we  know  tiiat  we  are  with  God,  and  that  therefore  God 
is  with  us. 

They  that  isolate  themselves  in  feeling,  tiiat  have  no 
heart  for  others,  no  wish,  no  hoj)c,  no  gf)al  but  their 
own  interest,  will  .soon  find  tlicir  spring  of  joy  drained, 
their  hearts  grow  cold  and  ever  colder;  they  become 
bitter  and  more  l)itter,  more  unhapj)y  and  discontented; 

4 


34  SABBATH   HOURS. 

they  forsake  God,  and  feel  god-forsaken,  and  their  very 
expression  invites  the  query :  "  Why  art  thou  wrotli, 
and  why  is  thy  countenance  fallen  ?" 

Blessed  be  they  that  are  content  within  ;  blessed  they 
that  are  wath  God,  and  with  Avhoni  is  God ;  blessed  they 
that  may  in  truth  exclaim:  "God  is  with  me,  I  do  not 
fear." 


THE   BOOK. 

''This  is  the  book  of  the  generations  of  Adam.  In  the  day  that  G)d 
created  man,  in  the  likeness  of  God  made  he  him  ;  male  and  female 
created  he  them  ;  and  blessed  them,  and  called  their  name  Adam, 
in  the  day  when  they  were  created."— Gen.  V  :  1,  2. 

Our  text,  in  two  brief,  prosaic  verses,  disposes  of 
the  creation  of  the  first  human  beings,  which  was 
described  more  circumstantially  and  graphically  in  a 
f(jrmer  chapter.  The  cause  of  the  repetition,  and 
of  the  altered  form  and  contents,  i.s  that  the  fir.'^t  is 
an  account  of  the  creation  of  the  natural  man,  whereas 
the  second  one  treats,  as  it  were,  of  a  second,  revised 
creation,  tlu;  child  of  nature  being  transformed  into 
a  civilized  l)eing.  Civilized  man  begins  with  the 
book.  "  This  is  the  book  of  the  generations  of  man  " 
(of  tlu!  formation  of  man).  With  records  begins 
the  development  of  the  civilized  l)eing:  mSin  (gen- 
erations) is  iiis  evolution.  .Savages  remain  savages, 
because  they  cannot  write,  uiid  liavc  traditions  but  no 
book.s.  If  the  peoples  that  now  rank  as  the  most 
enlightened  were  to  forget  how  to  read  and  write,  and 
were  to  Io.se  all  their  books,  a  few  generations  lience 
would  see  them  barl)arians.  A  lirctinie  of  seventy 
years  is  mucli  too  .^liort  for  mental  or  physical  progress 
to  be  of  any  conserpience.  Yet  even  the  little  an 
age  can  achieve,  woidd  pa«s  away  with  it,  and  tlie 
following  age  would   have  to  begin  over  again.      Antc- 

35 


36  SABBATH   HOURS. 

(liluvian  man  must,  indeed,  have  been  nnicli  longer 
lived  than  wc  of  the  present  day,  else  even  the  limited 
civilization  of"  prehistoric  times  could  never  have  been 
attained.  The  personal  experiences  of  long  lives  made 
up  for  the  written  records  of  several  generations.  But 
even  the  nine  hundred  and  sixty-nine  years  of  Methuse- 
lah's life,  what  are  they,  unrecorded  in  detail,  as  compared 
with  the  lifetime  of  one  of  us,  who,  through  books,  can  live 
from  four  to  five  thousand  years !  By  means  of  books, 
we  are  contemporaneous  with  the  mental  and  technical 
acquirements  of  hundreds  of  generations.  We  live  with 
the  earliest  inventors,  Jubal  and  Tubal  Cain,  as  with 
Edison.  Books  are  humanity's  savings-bank.  The 
profound  thinker  deposits  his  golden  thoughts  therein  ; 
the  superficial  thinker,  his  cojjpers,  but  each  one  some- 
thing. The  accumulated  capital  may  be  drawn  upon 
not  only  by  the  depositor,  and  in  proportion  to  his 
deposits,  but  by  all  mankind  and  to  any  extent.  The 
charter  of  this  bank  is  entitled :  "  This  is  the  book  of 
the  generations  of  man,"  the  book  that  forms  civilized 
man. 

^lany  may  say :  "  I  do  not  believe  in  books.  1  read 
no  books,  much  less  liave  I  written  any,  yet  I  am  neither 
a  fool  nor  a  savage  !" 

It  is  true  that  there  are  practical  men  and  women 
who  never  read,  and  withal  are  more  useful  than  many 
that  absorb  libraries  and  exhaust  inkstands.  Neverthe- 
less, whatever  there  may  be  stirring  of  fertile  thought  in 
his  brain,  or  of  delicate  feeling  in  his  heart,  and  whatever 
technical  skill  he  may  proudly  boast,  indirectly  the  prac- 
tical man  has  drawn  it  all  from  the  accumulated  knowl- 
edge in  the  bank-book  of  humanity ;   for  this  bank  not 


THE   BOOK.  37 

only  pays  back  deposits  with  interest,  it  does  not  even 
wait  for  people  to  draw  upon  it — it  does  not  even  ask, 
"  Who  was  the  depositor  ?"  Its  profits  benefit  all,  even 
those  that  do  not  read  and  write.  The  bank  is  not  in 
danger  of  a  run  upon  it ;  on  the  contrary,  it  is  ever  call- 
ing and  reminding  people,  "  Do  not  let  my  treasures  lie 
idle,  come  and  take  of  them  !" 

It  is  equally  true  that  readers  and  writers  of  books 
are  not  always  the  best  men  ;  the  former  often  carry 
awav  with  them  the  absurdities  and  the  unhealth- 
fulness  gathered  in  some  books,  and  the  latter  often 
deposit  tin  instead  of  gold — matter  to  kill  time  and 
souls,  instead  of  educational  store.  But  do  we  not  find 
blight  and  madwort  among  the  Avheat?  So  it  must  also 
})e  in  the  field  of  human  thought. 

The  first  story  of  the  creation  has,  for  its  subject 
the  natural  man,  and  the  style  of  description  is  chosen 
accordingly.  The  nuin  of  nature  speaks  in  metaphors. 
Just  as  writing  begins  with  picture-writing,  with  thoughts 
depicted  in  colors,  so  the  expression  of  thought  by 
means  of  language  begins  with  word-painting.  With 
culture,  comes  the  use  of  prose,  and  accordingly  the 
second  account  of  the  creation,  which  speaks  of  the 
"cultured  Jiian,"'  ac^complishcs  in  two  verses  what  it 
took  the  first  an  entire  chapter  to  <i<>. 

So  much  for  the  diflcrcnce  in  form  between  the  two 
accounts  of  the  creation:  now  for  tlu'  dillercncc  in 
matter. 

According  to  tlic  first  at^couiit,  iri:iu  was  created  first. 
Hut  when  it  was  found  that  it  was  not  well  lor  111:111  to 
be  alone,  woman  was  given  to  liiiii  as  a  comi)anion. 
The  man  was  called  Adam  and  his  wife  Eve — for  "she 


38  SABBATH   HOURS. 

was  the  mother  of  all  living."  According  to  this 
account,  woman's  place  in  creation  -woukl  be  but  as  the 
complement  of  man  ;  she  is  valuable  only  as  the  mother 
of  future  generations ;  for  her  own  sake,  her  existence 
would  not  be  justified.  This,  indeed,  do  we  find  the 
position  of  woman  to  be  in  uncivilized  lands  and  ages  ; 
she  is  but  her  husband's  beast  of  burden.  The  social 
and  domestic  position  of  woman  keeps  pace  with  culture. 

In  the  second  account  of  the  creation,  we  are  told, 
"  Male  and  female  created  he  them  ;  and  blessed  them, 
and  called  their  name  Adam."  Here  woman  is  created 
not  merely  as  a  helpmate  to  man,  as  a  supplement,  as  it 
were  ;  she  is  valued  not  only  as  Eve,  the  mother  of  men, 
but  she  exists  independently  and  for  her  own  sake. 

"  This  is  the  book  of  the  generations  of  man  " — this 
is  the  history  of  man  as  the  book  has  developed  him. 

There  always  have  been  men  and  women  who  exag- 
gerate virtue  and  piety  into  a  very  caricature,  and  so 
cause  them  to  be  decried.  We  find  the  same  tendency 
illustrated  in  the  relation  of  the  sexes  to  each  other. 
The  calm,  sensible  prose  of  our  text  would  read  that 
man  and  woman  were  created  equals,  and  so  every  just, 
enlightened  code  of  laws  endeavors  to  give  to  woman 
equal  rights  with  man.  Whereas  the  poetical  concep- 
tion of  the  story  of  the  creation  of  the  "  natural  man  " 
degrades  woman  to  the  level  of  a  mere  convenience  to 
man,  the  romantic  literature  of  civilized  countries  goes 
to  the  other  extreme,  and  deifies  and  beatifies  the  *'  eter- 
nally feminine  "  (das  Eivig-  Weibllche).  It  depicts  the 
world  as  one  of  flowers  and  sunshine,  of  homage  and 
adoration,  and  oftentimes  are  girls  and  young  women 
embittered  for  life,  unhappy  and  discontented  with  their 


THE   BOOK.  39 

lot,  because  they  fancy  themselves  wronged,  because,  in 
real  life,  in  the  world  of  reality,  they  find  that,  in  the 
long  run,  men  and  Avomen  alike  are  valued  according  to 
their  services.  Their  eyes  are  opened  to  the  fact  that 
the  demands  of  the  home  upon  the  housewife,  of  the 
family  upon  the  mother,  and  finally  the  husband's 
a«serti(ni  of  his  rights,  prove  to  be  very  different  from 
the  hazy  pictures  of  romantic  literature. 

Yet  the  charming  conceits  of  romantic  literature  pos- 
sess at  least  the  merit  of  having  given  great  pleasure 
to  the  w<n-ld.  Who  can  count  the  houi-s  of  enjoyment 
that  such  reading  has  bestowed,  or  the  number  of  hearts 
that  it  has  softened  ?  Who  would  deny  that  it  has  been 
invaluable  in  awakening,  fostering  and  cultivating  the 
ii'sthetic  sense  in  the  majority  of  its  loaders?  If  we  had 
to  continue  the  Bible,  who  knows  but  that  the  influence 
of  romantic  literature  might  inij)el  us  to  add  a  third 
account  of  the  creation  of  woman  to  the  two  already 
existing?  In  the  fust,  she  is  man's  inferior;  in  the 
second,  ids  equal  ;  in  the  third,  she  would  be  a  higher 
:esthetic  being,  wliicli  neither  knits  nor  weaves  nor  spins, 
but  charmingly  arrayed,  like  the  lilies  of  the  field,  would 
beautify  our  lives,  and  "weave  heavenly  roses  into  our 
earthly  lifi-."  And  then,  I)ccause  it  were  not  good  fur 
woman  to  be  alone^ — for  who  wo\ild  weave  and  spin  and 
take  carcftf  tilings? — we  wouM  have  fiod  creati-  man  to 
serve  her. 

But  exaggeration  ceii-ses  to  Im'  pleasing,  iiwh'ed,  it 
becomes  ofiensive,  when  it  introduces  woman  into  the 
arena  of"  j)olitical  strife,  and  transports  her  I'roni  the 
peace  and  purity  of  doniesti<'  life  to  the  noise  ami  mire 
of  j)nl»licity.     She  luis  a  right  to  enter  ujion  this  life, 


40  SABBATH   HOURS. 

certainly,  just  as  the  dove  has  a  right  to  mingle  with 
eagles,  but  the  exercise  of  the  privilege  Avould  prove 
fatal  to  the  poor  dove.  Instinct  teaches  the  animal  to 
keep  out  of  danger.  Is  there  not  enough  of  abuse, 
slander,  fraud  and  even  bloody  strife  in  connection  with 
elections  and  jiolitics  in  general  among  the  politically- 
privileged  sex,  Avithout  casting  the  other  and  purer  half 
of  humanity  into  this  whirlpool?  Men,  in  their  politi- 
cal contests,  may  calumniate  and  cast  the  mire  of  slander 
upon  one  another.  A  blot  on  a  man's  character  is  easily 
obliterated,  and  even  his  real  shortcomings  are  leniently 
judged.  But  the  faintest  tinge  upon  a  woman's  char- 
acter robs  her  forever  of  her  reputation  and  tarnishes 
her  name  and  being.  Woman,  more  delicate  and  sensi- 
tive, and  Avhen  good,  possessing  a  nobility  of  soul  which 
even  the  best  among  men  cannot  approach,  would  not 
retain  her  equanimity  as  man  does  in  the  pitiless  strife  of 
politics.  She  would  leave  the  field  of  battle  hurt,  deeply 
pained  and  wounded,  whereas  men  of  opposing  factions 
cordially  shake  hands  after  the  battle,  as  if  no  unkind 
word  had  been  spoken.  But  the  cultured,  patriotic 
woman  is  not  debarred  from  exerting  political  influence; 
her  spirit  may  guide  husbands  and  sons  in  the  noblest 
direction,  and  kindle  them  to  the  noblest  deeds.  Cor- 
nelia did  not  go  into  the  Forum,  but  she  was  the  mother 
of  the  Gracchi. 

"  This  is  the  book  of  the  generations  of  man."  The 
evolution  in  the  history  of  civilization,  the  growth  of 
culture,  of  thought,  of  enlightenment,  of  intellectuality 
in  each  successive  generation,  is  due  to  books. 

We  have  noted  their  influence  upon  the  position  of 
woman.     The  tendency  of  culture  is  to  place  the  weak 


THE   BOOK.  41 

on  an  equal  footing  with  the  strong.  And  thus  Israel, 
like  woman,  has  been  the  gainer  by  the  advance  of  cul- 
ture. It  is  weak  in  numbers,  and  has  been  further 
weakened  by  prejudice.  Look  about  you  in  the  differ- 
ent countries  of  the  earth.  Wherever  you  find  woman 
oppressed,  her  claims  disregarded,  there  Israel  likewise 
does  not  lie  upon  a  l)ed  of  roses ;  and  where  woman  suc- 
ceeds in  asserting  her  rights,  Israel  also  is  permitted  to 
grow  in  dignity.  In  no  land  upon  earth  is  woman  held 
in  higher  esteem  than  in  our  blessed  United  States. 
Here,  too,  the  Israelite  may  enjoy  every  privilege.  This 
is  the  best  evidence  that  the  country  takes  first  rank,  in 
point  of  culture,  among  the  nations  of  the  earth.  May 
it  ever  remain  upon  this  j)iunacle,  and  be  guarded  from 
the  pitfalls  of  exaggeration ! 


PRAISE  AND  BLAME. 

"  These  are  the  generations  of  Noah  :  Noah  was  a  just  man  and  per- 
fect in  his  generations,  and  Noah  walked  with  (iod.— Gen.  VI  :  'J. 

In  tlie  introductory  words  of  to-day's  portion  of  the 
Law,  in  which  the  Bible  speaks  of  Noah  in  the  third 
person,  he  is  designated  as  "a  just  man  and  perfect,'* 
and  again  as  a  man  that  "  walked  with  God ;"  but 
further  on,  where  Noah  is  mentioned  in  the  second  per- 
son, addressed  by  God,  it  says  merely,  "  for  thee  have  I 
seen  righteous  before  me  in  this  generation." 
-  Thence  our  sages  draw  the  lesson  that,  in  a  person's 
presence,  praise  of  him  should  be  moderate,  and  full 
praise  accorded  only  in  his  ahsence.4  Generally,  this  is 
accepted  in  its  negative  sense,yas  a  warning  against  flat- 
tery, as  an  objection  to  exaggerated  praise.  «  To  be  sure, 
if  we  glance  about  us  in  practical  life  we  find  that  praise, 
in  the  presence  of  the  person  commended,  is  apt  to  be 
exaggerated,  even  false„wliile  behind  his  back,  tliere  is 
rarely  any  praise  at  all,  neither  faint  nor  unstinted 
praise. 

(These  thoughts  lead  us  to  the  regions  of  flattery  and 
duplicity,  tempting  the  preacher  to  moralize,  and  otter- 
ing him  a  grateful  subject,  bound  to  win  for  him  his 
listeners'  sympathies.  They  fully  approve  of  his  railing 
against  and  clii<liug  the  insincerity  of  the  world.  "  The 
minister  is  quite  right;  every  word  he  has  uttered  is 

42 


PRAISE    AND    BLAME.  43 

perfectly  true !"  For  each  one  thinks  that  the  moralist's 
strictures  apply  only  to  the  wicked  world,  and  not  to 
himself,^ 

•  Our  principle  should  be,  not  that  we  may  praise^"'but 
that  we  oufjJd  to  praise  others;  moderately,  yes,  and 
with  discretion,  but  praise  them  we  should.  As  God 
spake  to  Noah,  "  For  thee  have  I  seen  righteous  before 
me„"  so  be  you  ready  frankly  to  show  the  good  man 
your  appreciation.  ^  INfany  people   have   not   sufficient 

^ —  generosity  to  speak  a  kind  word  or  give  a  sign  of  appre- 
ciation, unless  it  be  from  selfish  motives.  /  "  Love  thy 
neighbor  as  thyself."     Surely,  no  one  objects  to  this  fun- 
^^ — ■  dainental  principle  of  our  religion.     Well,  no  matter 
how  modest  you  may  be,  you  are  pleased  by  an  expres- 
\y^~'^  sion  of  praise  which,  you  feel,  you  merits  It  borders  on 
■--  saintlincss  to  l)e  al)]e  to  act  rightly  and  nobly,  quietly 
and  without  ostentation,  seen  only  by  God,  knowing 
one's  self  to  be  misunderstood,  and  yet  continuing  calmly 
and    unconcernedly  in  the  path   of  the  good  and  the 
noble. 

" Do  unto  others  as  you  would  have  them  do  unto  you. 

If  you  mean  to  try  to  live  up  to  the  law,  "  Love  thy 
neighbor  as  thyself,"  you  must  rcincmlicr  tliat  it  can  be 
carried  out,  not  only  in  cases  in  which  your  neighbor 
is  in  need  of  material  assistance,  or  retjuires  your  per- 
sonal aid,  l)ut  also  by  rejoicing  his  heart  whenever  it  can 

^^  be  done.*  Love  of  mankind  givers  bread  to  the  liiiin,M-y 
and  alms  to  the  poor,  and  makes  us  obliging  to  our 
neighbors.  In  times  of  troultlc  we  extend  a  helping 
hand  to  every  one  that  needs  it.  IJut  wiien  neither 
hunger,   nor  troubh;,   nor  aught  else,  calls  for  acts  of 

.  human  kindneas — what  then?     Speak  a  pleasant  word 


44  SABBATH   HOURS. 

to  all !  That  is  the  gift  that  pleases  the  millionaire  as 
well  as  the  beggar,  and  it  is  always  appropriate.  It  is  a - 
gift  precious  enough  for  those  dearest  to  you,  and  not 
too  valuable  to  bestow  upon  the  most  distant  acquaint- 
£^^  ance.  v  If  you  wish  to  give  pleasure  to  the  faithful  part- 
ner of  your  life,  if  you  would  sincerely  delight  her,  and 
elevate  her  spirits,  you  need  not  go  to  a  dry-goods  store, 
and  purchase  the  costliest  and  most  elegant  material  for 
^__^^Jier^nor  pave  the  ways  of  a  happy  marriage  with  dia- 
monds: tell  her  something  kind;  praise  her  manage- 
ment in  her  sphere  at  home.*  AVhen  a  man  supposes 
that  he  can  give  a  woman  no  greater  pleasure  than  by 
presenting  her  with  woven  materials,  shining  gold  and 
glittering  stones,  does  he  imagine  that  he  is  thus  showing 
the  proper  appreciation  of  the  dignity  of  womanhood  ? 
^ — Does  he  imad,nc  that  to  be  the  way  to  malj^  every 
woman  happy,^rom  the  maiden  to  the  matron  'M^Show 
her  your  appreciation  of  the  dutiful  mother  in  her,  of 
the  housewife,  and  do  not  stint  your  praise  of  anything 
that  may  be  praiseworthy  in  her,  and  if  she  possess  but 
a  spark  of  true  womanly  pride,  this  will  make  her  hap- 
pier than  wagonloads  of  precious  gifts  could  do. 
^  ^If  you  have  a  laborer  with  whom  you  are  satisfied, 
tell  him  so!  Praise  him!  He  will  be  better  pleased 
than  with  the  conventional  gift  which  is  supposed  to 
repay  his  ardent  services. 

How  delighted  pupils  are  when  they  are  praised  by 

their  teacher,  and  they  may  carry  the  praise  home  in  the 
form  of  a  certificate,  particularly  if  they  know  that  the 
praise  is  deserved.      -     ~ 
■ —    But  even  our  dear,  beloved  gold,  hardly  earned,  still 
more  hardly  parted  with,  finds  its  way  more  readily  out 


PRAISE  AND   BLAME.  45 

of  our  purses,  than  does  a  good,  kind  word  out  of  our 
mouths.  The  penurious  man  will  sooner,  though  even 
that  with  a  heavy  heart,  make  up  his  mind  to  the  pur- 
chase of  a  diamond,  than  will  the  hard  man  to  the 
utterance  of  appreciative  praise.  Limited  knowledge 
of  human  nature  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  there  is  more 
complaint  of  flattery,  that  is,  of  too  much  and  undeserved 
])raise,  than  of  praise  withheld,  though  merited. 

To  flatter  a  man  in  his  presence,  and  then  to  criticise 
him  adversely  as  soon  a.s  his  back  is  turned  upon  us,  is 
an  undoul)ted  sin,^of  which  no  one  is  entirely  innocent, 
but  which  everyone  regards  as  contemptible  ;  but  when 
the  kind  word  that  really  belongs  to  another  is  withheld, 
the  wrong  is  not  even  suspected.^  Is  it  because  people 
are,  in  truth,  so  poor  in  virtue  that  we  hear  so  few 
iA'  them  praised  ?^  Why,  that  would  be  a  slur  upon  the 
Creator  wIid  made  them  ! 

(iod  said  to  Noah,  "Thou  art  a  man  whom  I  have 
found  good  and  righteous,  'in  tiiis  generation,'  under  the 
existing  circumstances  under  which  thou  liast  grown  up 
among  men." 

So  let  us  judge.     Lot  us  give  every  one  his  due ;  let  us 
judge  of  everyone   in    the  light  of  the  circumstances 
under  which  he  luus  lived  ami  Ixcn  brought  up./  Let  us  "''^ 
give  t<j  everyone  credit  for  the  good  in   liim,  whether  it 
be  great  or  .small,  to  those  near  and  dear  to  us^as  well^ 
as  to  those  with  whom  we  come  but  casually  in  contact. 

Our  sages  say,  in  an  alleg(;ry,  that  (Jod  lays  the  hand 
of  his  mercy  upon  the  scale  of  merit,  when  the  tongue 
of  the  balance  wavers  between  guilt  and  deserts.  Kven 
though  there  may  be  some  doubt  as  to  the  uiKpiali- 
fied  merit  of  the  action  in  ((uestioii,  praise  ill     We  are  — 


46  SABBATH   HOURS. 

not  SO  conscientious  when  we  come  to  blame,  a  INIany  a  - 
hard  judgment  is  passed  upon  tlie  strength  of  a  mere 
supposition,  of  rumors  floating  about  in  the  air,  coming, 
no  one  knows  whence — why  be  so  guarded  in.  praise  ? 
If  we  take  into  consideration  the  circumstances  under 
which  a  man  lives  and  acts,  much  may  be  praised  that 
is  not  exactly  resplendent  in  virtue,^  and  much  be 
thought  clean  that  has  many  a  stain. 

-—  Of  course,  praise  must  be,  according  to  circumstances, 
merited,  then  it  is  not  flattery.  ^  It  must  not  be  over- 
done, else  it  may  spoil  the  one  to  whom  it  is  accorded. 
Moderate  praise  harms  no  one;  on  the  contrary,  it 
spurs  him  on  to  be  completely  worthy  and  deserving  of 
it. 

~  Many  a  one  that  finds  it  hard  Avork  to;  utter  a  kind 
word  justifies  himself  by  saying,  "  I  cannot  flatter!     I 
am  no'  flatterer  and  no  hypocrite !"     Instead  of  which  - 
he  ought  to  say,  "  I  cannot  praise ;  my  heart  is  not  good 
enough." 

Many  a  one  who  can  most  readily,  without  the  slight- 
est hesitancy  or  qualm  of  conscience  blame  another  in 
his  presence,  but  cannot  bring  himself  to  utter  a  word 
of  praise  or  acknowledgment,,  considers  himself  there — ■ 
fore  one  of  the  most  sturdy,  honest  and  sincere  of  men. « 
In  reality,  he  ranks  among  the  heartless,  coarse-grained 
misanthropes  of  earth. 

-     Many  are  not  actually  malevolent ;  they  blame  with-- 
out  condonniing ;  but  neither  are  they  kindly  disposed. 
They  utter  not  a  kind  word,  unless  it  be  forced  from 
them.       But,   despite   their  taciturnity,  they   are  not 
philosophers,  as  they  fondly  fancy ;  they  are  too  poor 
in  love  and  sympathy  for  their  fellow-beings  to  give 


PRAISE  AND   BLAME,  47 

away  even  a  word.r  They  would  not  have  given  Noah 
the  satisfaction  of  saying  to  him,  "  Thee  I  have  found 
righteous  in  this  generation." 

^  Praise  a  man  moderately  in  his  presence.  You  are 
not  asked  for  valuable  gold  coins — exaggerated  praise  ^ 
nor  are  there  very  many  that  deserve  such  praise.^  But  • 
be  always  well  supplied  with  small  coins,  the  small  change 
of  praise,  and  scatter  it  to  the  right  and  left  on  your  path- 
way in  life  as  kindly  gifts  and  just  tributes  ;  for  there 
are  few  in  whom  there  is  not  something  to  praise.    ~ 

To  cast  blame  upon  a  strong  man,  in  his  very  pres- 
ence, though  it  may  l)e  justified,  requires  heroic  courage  > 
but  to  find  something  to  praise  in  a  weak  one,  and 
to  accord  him  praise  therefor,  besjieak  a  noble  nature 
and  a  gentle  heart. «  Blessed  be  they  that  can  do  both, 
in  wIkjih  n(jbility  of  spirit,  strength  of  mind  and  good- 
ness of  heart  are  united ! 


I 


RELIGION  AND  THE  MORAL  LAW. 

Gen.  VI  :  9. 

When  the  momeut  of  separation  between  life  and 
death  has  come,  and  our  labors  here  are  ended ;  when 
there  is  nothing  more  to  be  added  to  or  taken  from  our 
life-work,  in  what  word  should  we  most  like  to  have  all 
our  striving  and  getting  summed  up,  and  echoed  beyond 
the  grave?  Artist?  Scholar?  Ruler?  Millionaire?  Or 
should  we  like  to  be  remembered  as  a  beautiful,  graciouS 
lady  ?  No  matter  how  much  importance  people,  even  up 
to  the  last  day  in  life,  attach  to  such  names,  when  the  last 
hour  comes,  on  the  verge  of  eternity,  there  is  no  longer 
any  delight  in  the  things  that  seemed  of  ruling  import- 
ance during  life.  The  word  that  we  should  most  like 
to  have  re-echo  in  the  world  after  the  grave  has  closed 
over  us,  is  that  which  clung  to  Noah's  memory :  "  Noah 
was  a  righteous  man."  Zaddih  is  the  word;  to  have 
lived  as  a  Zaddik  would  assuredly  be  our  last  and  greatest 
desire.  We  find  this  word  cut  into  most  Israelitish 
tombstones,  in  praise  of  the  man  resting  beneath.  Often 
the  praise  that  the  patient  stone  ])ears  is  unmerited, 
yet  the  frequency  with  which  it  occurs  testifies  to  the 
high  esteem  in  which  the  epithet  is  held. 

The  handsomest  and  tallest  monument,  with  the  most 
grandiloquent  inscription,  has  no  value,  if  the  one  little 
word  "  Zaddik  "   cannot  be  truthfully  placed  upon  it. 

48 


RELIGION   AND   THK    MORAL   LAW.  49 

The  most  touching  and  the  most  polished  funeral  oration 
is  devoid  of  meaning,  if  the  little  word  "  Zaddik  "  must 
of  necessity  be  left  out  of  it.  Man  may  secure  post- 
humous fame  through  manifold  works ;  he  may  gain 
celebrity  after  his  death  among  those  left  on  earth,  but 
in  departing,  only  that  which  walks  before  us  is  of  value 
to  us,  ^pii*  I'JijS  -]Sni  "  Before  thee  shall  go  thy  right- 
eousness"— all  that  pertains  to  a  Zaddik. 

Zaddik  is  a  Hebrew  word.  What  is  its  translation? 
It  is  one  of  the  untranslatable  Hebrew  words.  Even  in 
being  defined,  it  loses  its  force,  just  as  wine  loses  its 
aroma  in  a  chemical  analysis.  To  render  it  in  another 
language  deprives  it  of  its  flavor,  it  is  then  like  wine 
jKjured  from  one  vessel  into  another.  The  attributes  just, 
honorable,  honest,  benevolent,  god-fearing,  may  be  ap- 
plied to  a  man  or  not — the  subject  ever  remains ;  but  in 
Zaddik  all  these  attributes  are  embodied.  The  one  word 
is  the  sul)ject  and  the  predicate.  We  cannot  imagine  a 
Zaddik  otherwise  than  possessing  all  these  attributes. 
The  liible  declares  Noah  to  have  attained  his  majority; 
it  tells  us  that  in  his  generation  he  was  the  only  one  that 
had  reached  the  nobility  of  a  Zaddik. 

At  the  time  of  the  deluge,  there  had  been  no  revela- 
tion on  Mount  Sinai,  and  no  Moses  called  to  speak  to 
the  people  in  the  name  of  God.  Ifow  could  there  then 
have  been  a  Zaddik?  And  liow  could  men  be  punished 
for  evil  or  even  be;  called  evil,  there  being  no  divine  laws 
to  obey  and  none  to  infringe?  The  liible-text  teaches  us 
the  great  lesson  that  we  carry  a  divine  revelation  in  our 
hearts.  Also  to  that  portion  of  humanity  that  was  not 
present  at  Mount  Sinai,  God  revealed  himself  and  spoke. 
This  revelation  continues  through  all  times,  and  the  voice 

5 


50  SABBATH   HOURS. 

of  God,  beard  in  our  conscience,  does  not  die  away.  It  is 
"  the  loud  voice  that  does  not  cease."  Our  sages  men- 
tion seven  Noachian  precepts,  but  it  is  not  imperative  to 
derive  them  from  the  Bible,  as  our  sages  do.  The  four 
into  which  the  seven  resolve  themselves  are,  humanity, 
chastity,  justice  and  the  worship  of  God.  These  emanate 
from  man's  moral  instincts,  and  are  the  ijentle  voices  of 
the  heart,  in  whicli  God's  will  manifests  itself.  Noah 
bad  the  same  law-giver  as  bis  contemporaries,  the  same 
teacher  and  mentor — the  moral  law  within  bis  heart ;  it 
was  sufficient  to  make  him  a  Zaddik,  to  teach  him  how 
to  earn  God's  favor,  whereas  his  contemporaries  bad 
incurred  tlie  deluge. 

This  story  recommends  to  us  tolerance,  exercised  by 
God  himself,  and  so  often  overlooked  by  religious  zeal. 
Even  those  who  were  not  at  IVIount  Sinai,  and  whose 
ancestors  were  not  there,  who  never  experienced  a 
supernatural  revelation,  and,  therefore,  do  not  believe 
in  any,  even  they  may  find  favor  in  the  eyes  of  God,  if 
they  lead  a  virtuous  life.  Noah's  contemporaries  met 
their  destruction,  because  they  despised  the  moral  law, 
and  permitted  their  feelings  and  actions  alike  to  run  riot. 
"  For  the  land  was  filled  with  violence."  This,  the  Bible 
tells  us,  was  the  cause  of  the  destructive  flood.  So  far 
as  their  belief  was  concerned,  whether  true  or  false,  the 
sun  would  have  continued  to  shine  for  them  as  it  had 
done  before  and  has  done  since  for  millions  of  idolaters. 

In  matters  of  belief,  tolerance  is  a  virtue  ;  men  of  the 
most  varied  beliefs  may  live  near  one  another,  and  each 
one  live  and  die  a  Zaddik.  ]5ut  when  the  question  is 
purely  moral,  affecting  all  men  alike ;  when  it  is  one  of 
nobility,  of  humanity,  of  rectitude ;  when,  in  short,  it 


RELIGION   AND  THE  MORAL  LAW.  51 

falls  under  the  divine  revelations  made  in  our  hearts, 
then  to  practise  forbearance,  to  be  indifferent  towards 
the  views  and  actions  of  men,  is  sinful,  punishable  toler- 
ance, of  the  sort  that  has  ever  produced  deluges  ;  that  is 
to  say,  times  of  social  distress,  great  or  slight,  according 
to  the  prevalence  of  this  laxity  of  judgment. 

In  the  story,  after  Noah  has  been  distinguished  by  the 
honorable  name  Zaddik,  we  read  further  on,  as  if  in 
explanation  of  it :  "Noah  walked  with  God!"  We 
spoke  of  a  moral  law,  which  every  one  carries  in  his 
heart,  and  which  renders  it  possible  for  every  one  to  be 
a  Zaddik.  But  where,  in  history,  look  where  we  may, 
can  we  find  an  example  of  a  people  or  a  country  or  any 
large  community  living  for  any  length  of  time  in  peace 
and  order  and  security,  based  purely  upon  this  moral 
law?  A  belief  in  God  or  gods,  whether  childish  or 
rational,  has  always  been  the  foundation  of  stable,  civil 
order,  and  the  anchor  of  the  social  fabric.  Individuals 
have,  at  all  times,  discarded  the  belief  in  God,  and  yet 
continued  to  live  virtuously,  but  communities — never. 
The  worst  periods  of  moral  depravity,  even  in  heathen 
communities,  have  always  been  those  in  which  irreligion 
was  considered  the  ])roper  thing,  and  the  masses  turned 
their  backs  upon  tlicir  temples  of  divine  worship,  and 
gave  up  their  hclief,  without  sul)stituting  a  hetter  one. 

The  praise  accorded  to  Noah,  "and  Noah  walked 
with  God,"  shows  what  was  lacking  in  his  contempora- 
ries, and  wliat  occa-sioncd  the  moral  ruin  of  tlie  pc(jple. 
They  walked  neither  with  (Jod,  nor  with  gods. 

Truly,  the  nnual  law  :in<l  the  tendency  to  good  arc 
in  the  human  heart;  so  an;  the  conditirms  for  growth 
•  iintaincd  in  (he  seed,  tlic  earth  and  the  atnios])hcn',  hut 


52  SABBATH   HOURS. 

the  sun  must  give  heat  and  light,  must  awaken  and 
quicken  the  germ.  Thus  the  heart  has  its  moral  law, 
and  the  understanding  knows  right  from  wrong,  but  the 
divine  spark,  which  impels  the  heart  to  good  actions,  is 
wanting.  This  animating  element  is  the  belief  in  God. 
The  chemist  knows  the  component  parts  of  the  blood  ; 
he  can  show  us  its  separate  ingredients,  but  lie  cannot 
make  blood  of  the  parts.  How  to  impart  life  is  the 
secret  of  creation.  The  secret  of  quickening  the  moral 
law  in  man  is  not  withheld  from  us :  it  is  the  faith  in 
heaven,  in  a  higher,  superhuman,  inconceivable  Being. 

As  remarked  before,  individuals,  guided  by  the  moral 
law,  may  remain  in  the  right  path,  even  though  they  be 
infidels,  but  never  an  entire  community.  Political  and 
social  problems  may  unite  the  masses,  and  move  them  to 
act  in  harmony,  but  not  permanently,  only  while  the 
question  is  pending.  If  the  moral  law  is  to  be  the  law 
of  the  land,  if  it  is  to  achieve  permanent  and  thus  effec- 
tive results,  it  must  be  informed  with  a  ray  of  the  sun 
of  faith,  dispensing  light  and  warmth  from  a  world 
above  and  beyond  ours. 

Noah's  contemporaries  walked  not  with  God,  where- 
fore the  Zaddikim  gradually  disappeared  from  their 
midst,  and  morality  died  out  among  them.  Depravity 
followed  in  the  train  of  godlessness.  But  Noah  walked 
with  God  ;  his  belief  in  God  kept  the  moral  law  in  his 
heart  fresh  and  pure,  and  he  was  the  only  Zaddik  of  his 
time ;  and  he  is  praised  as  a  most  excellent  Zaddik. 
For  it  is  not  so  difficult  to  live  a  Zaddik  among  Zad- 
dikim. It  is  infinitely  harder  to  remain  true  to  one's 
self  among  evil,  immoral  people,  to  stand  firm  in  the 
current  of  pul)lic  opinion,  and  not  be  carried  away  by  it. 


RELIGION   AND   THE   MORAL   LAW.  53 

Let  us  not  be  deceived  because  nowadays  we  find 
everywhere  people  who  are  estranged  from  religion ; 
infidels,  who  are  nevertheless  good  and  virtuous.  Let 
not  such  examples  mislead  us  into  believing  that  com- 
munities may  prosper  spiritually,  and  the  world  remain 
moral,  without  some  kind  of  religion.  In  a  country  of 
fifty  millions,  hundreds  of  thousands  may  live  moral 
lives  without  religion,  so  long  as  millions  and  millions  of 
their  contem])()raries  worship  God,  and  teach  the  wor-, 
ship  of  God,  and  instil  thoughts  of  heaven  in  church,  in 
school,  and  at  the  domestic  hearth — so  long  as  hundreds 
of  thousands  of  churches  and  schools  and  synagogues 
exist  to  foster  these  teachings,  and  so  awaken,  support 
and  sanctify  the  moral  law  in  the  heart. 

Imagine  all  the  churches  and  schools  closed,  the 
moral  guidance  discontinued,  and  each  one  left  to  follow 
the  promptings  of  his  heart.  Oh,  ye  philosophers!  ye 
would  not  win  those  fleeing  iiDin  the  ashes  of  their  faith, 
not  even  your  own  offspring  ;  the  masses  deserting  God 
would  drag  you  down  into  their  own  wliirlpool  of  unfet- 
tered sensualism,  materialism  and  gross  scliishnuss. 

It  W(juld  be  the  foulest  calumny  to  accuse  nujdi'rn 
Jews  of  retrogression  in  morality,  because  of  tlu^  more 
lax  exercise  of  the  rites  of  theii-  inheritcfl  religion. 
Even  the  most  conservative  must  aihnit,  upon  unbiased 
jndgmeut,  tliat  in  nniny  ways  things  are  better  than  they 
were  in  the  days  of  un(|uestioned  orthodoxy.  Vet  we 
(;annot  be  sufiieiciitly  earnest  in  our  warning  against  too 
greatly  damping  the  fire  of  religion,  till  the  heart  is 
dead  to  the  thought  of  (Jod.  Whoever  values  morality 
for  himself  and  the  generaticjn  in  which  he  lives,  a.s  well 
as  for  the  generations  that  follow,  must  j)ractise  religion 


54  SABBATH   HOURS. 

not  only  in  spirit,  l)ut  jil.so  in  a  manner  that  will,  by- 
mutual,  external  intei-csts,  bind  together  a  large  circle 
of  believers.  Through  abandoning  the  belief  in  God, 
antediluvian  humanity,  with  one  exception,  gradually 
sank  into  moral  depravity.  This  one  alone  remained 
a  Zaddik,  for  he  was  the  onlv  one  that  recognized  a 
God  above  him.     "  Noah  walked  with  God." 

Let  the  precious  title  of  Zaddik  not  wait  for  the  tomb- 
stone, Ijut  may  the  Israelite  be  honored  in  life,  before 
God  and  man,  as  a  Zaddik ! 


BE  COKTENT  TO  LIVE  IX  THE  LAKD  OF 
THY  BIRTH. 

"And  you,  be  ye  fruitful,  and  multiply  ;  bring  forth  abundantly  inthe 
earth,  and  multiply  therein."— Gen.  IX  :  7. 

In  the  repetition  of  the  thought  contained  in  the  first 
part  of  our  text  in  the  concluding  words,  "  and  nuiltiply 
therein  "  our  .'-ages  recognize  a  special  covenant  of  God  ; 
or,  translated  into  the  language  of  our  day,  a  law  of 
Nature  regulating  the  atlection  of  man  for  his  native 
heath.  "And  nuiltiply  therein" — thrive,  develoj)  and 
.strengthen  in  the  place  wliere  your  cradle  stood. 

It  is  certain  that  some  such  natural  law  of  inevitable 
force  must  regidate  man's  feeling  on  the  subject.  The 
most  inhospitable  regions  of  the  earth  are  inhabited  by 
l)<'o])]e  who,  nevertheless,  enjoy  life ;  they  strain  every 
nniscie  to  earn  a  meagre  subsistence,  while  lands,  richly 
lilcssed,  remain  initill(Ml.  In  the  rugged  moinitains  of 
\'(;rmont,  in  the  forests  of  Maine,  among  the  bogs  antl 
niar.shes  of  North  Canilin:!,  tlicrc  arc  light  crojjs  and 
hard  work,  little  pleasure  and  ininli  privation.  Yet 
people  iiave  lived  there  from  generation  to  generation, 
elingiiig  to  and  loving  the  s])ot  in  wliieli  tliey  were  born, 
while  vast  areas  of  land  in  the  I  nion,  as  fertile  as  the 
garden  of  (lod,  as  the  land  of  Egyj)t,  still  await  the 
pioneer's  plow.  The  Shetland  isles,  even  Iceland,  Spit/,- 
Itergen  and  Nova  Zend)la  are  inhabited,  whereas  Spain, 
Hungary,  the  principalities  of  the    Danube,  etc.,  .still 

66 


56  SABBATH   HOURS. 

Lave  room  for  all  their  dwellers.  As  a  rule,  moreover, 
people  are  proud  of  the  wretched  bit  of  laud  which 
they  happen  to  inhabit.  The  Russian,  in  his  smoky 
cabin,  buried  in  snow  half  the  time,  looks  proudly  down 
upon  the  Italian,  who  must  go  to  the  mountains  for  the 
snow  and  ice  wherewith  to  cool  a  beverage.  The  laz- 
zarone,  who  lives  on  the  street,  subsists  on  alms,  and  can 
claim  nothing  as  his  own  but- the  blue  of  the  sky  over- 
head, yet  exclaims,  "  See  Naples  and  die !" 

A  Greenlander  replied  to  a  missionary,  "  Who  made 
the  sun  ?  I  don't  know  ;  I  have  never  thought  al)out 
it ;  but  if  it  was  made  by  anyone,  it  assuredly  must  have 
been  a  Greenlander!" 

The  epochs  in  history,  when  entire  peoples  threw  ofl' 
these  fetters,  and  left  their  barren  homes  in  multitudes 
in  search  of  more  pleasant  abiding-places,  have  ever 
been  fraught  with  misery,  as  was  the  time  of  the  deluge. 
What  is  the  burning  of  Magdeburg,  of  London,  of  Mos- 
cow, or  of  Chicago,  as  compared  with  the  calamities 
brought  on  by  these  hordes  ?  Hundreds  of  miles  of 
villages  and  towns  were  one  sheet  of  flames.  Slaying 
and  massacre  preceded  them,  and  death,  ruin  and  deso- 
lation followed  in  their  wake. 

God  spake  after  the  great  deluge,  "  There  shall  be  no 
more  a  flood  to  destroy  the  earth !"  Likewise,  Provi- 
dence has,  since  many  centuries,  kept  the  nations  within 
bounds,  and  not  permitted  them  to  deluge  the  earth. 
The  old  covenant,  "and  multiply  therein,"  is  once  again 
in  full  operation.  The  entire  surface  of  the  earth  is 
inhabited,  and  despite  the  partial  distribution  of  favors, 
each  one  believes  himself  in  possession  of  the  most  fav- 
ored spot,  and  there  takes  root  for  all  times. 


BE  CONTENT  TO  IJVE  IN  THE  LAND  OF  THY  BIRTH.   57 

So  enormous  a  displacement  of  the  fluid  element,  as 
in  Noah's  time,  is  a  curse ;  but  complete  cessation  of 
movement  would  be  equally  unfortunate.  So  the  rush 
of  entire  peoples,  the  surging  of  a  sea  of  humanity  over 
the  whole  earth,  brought  with  it  inexpressible  misery 
and  suffering.^  On  the  other  hand,  if  nations  were  to 
separate  themselves  from  one  another  by  insuperable 
barriers;  were  to  hate  and  despise  one  another,  and  live 
each  one  only  within  the  circle  of  its  own  ideas,  it 
would  prove  anything  but  a  blessing.  Regarding  this, 
much  has  changed  for  the  better.  Nations  confine  them- 
selves within  their  boundaries,  and  yet  there  is  easy 
movement  from  one  to  the  other.  In  ancient  times, 
next  to  death,  exile  was  the  most  severe  punishment,  for 
only  one's  native  heatli  contained  that  which  was  most 
desirable.  "Stranger"  was  an  ugly  name;  neither  the 
life  nor  the  pro[)erty  of  him  that  bore  it  was  safe; 
respect,  friendshij),  good-will  were  out  of  the  question. 
These  conditions  naturally  strengthened  the  love  of 
home.  The  more  uid'ciiid  fate  was  in  foreign  lands,  the 
more  beautiful  did  lioine  ap|)('ar.  The  ancients  used  to 
say,  "  Wlierever  I  am  ha])i)y,  there  is  my  country  !"  But 
no  one  was  happy  anywlure  except  at  home. 

Nowadays,  any  good  Ixiok  or  n(\vs])aper  article  is 
translated  into  various  languages,  and  tia\(ls  IViini  land 
to  land.  The  products  of  the  soil  or  of  trade  and  works 
of  art  are  taken  everywhere ;  hundreds  and  thousands 
of  people  are  enq)loyed  in  scattering  them  abroad.  We  of 
to-day  also  love  our  homes  ;  but  oftentimes  we  are  better 
off  in  a  strange  than  in  our  native  laml ;  since  we  are  se- 
cure abroad, and  aretreateil  kin<llv,  we  no  longer  consider 
leaving  home  a  misfortinie,  oi-  litl-  away  from  it,  exile. 


58  SABBATH   HOURS. 

For  tlii^,  God  be  praised.  Each  people  lives  happily 
and  securely  in  its  own  domain,  and  still  each  individual 
may  safely  remove  his  home  to  a  distance  of  thousands 
of  miles.  Just  as  the  sea  is  confined  in  its  basin  by 
rocks  and  sand-banks,  so  the  peoples  are  detained  within 
limits  by  the  natural  law,  "multiply  therein." 

But  as  brooks,  rivers  and  torrents  beautify  the  earth, 
as  fogs,  clouds  and  moderate  rains  refresh  and  invigo- 
rate it,  so  do  men  travelling  from  land  to  land  in  families 
and  parties  receive  and  bestow  the  advantages  of  new 
knowledge,  of  new  skill,  new  views,  new  conceptions, 
and  animate,  refresh  and  enhance  the  social  life  of 
lumanity. 

The  portion  from  the  Prophets  (I  Kings  XXI),  which 
we  read  to-day,  illustrates  the  natural  law  about  the 
affection  of  man  for  his  native  heath.  Xaboth  will  not, 
at  any  price,  part  with  his  inherited  vineyard.  The 
soil  which  his  parents  tilled  and  cultivated  is  dearer  to 
liiiii  than  any  other  estate  offered  to  him,  even  though 
it  be  better  and  more  beautiful  than  his  own.  When 
we  take  into  consideration  the  submissiveness  of  Orientals 
to  the  behests  of  their  ruler,  and  the  perils  of  jjrovoking 
his  wrath,  Naboth's  outspoken  preference  for  his  plot  of 
ground  is  explicable  only  by  the  compelling  power  of  a 
natural  law. 

In  this,  too,  there  has  been  a  great  change.  How 
many  d(;  we  find  to-day  living  in  the  houses  of  their 
parents,  or  cultivating  the  lands  of  their  grandparents? 
Who  would  not  be  ready  to  sell  his  house  and  grounds 
for  a  good  round  sum  ?  Kot  once  but  ten  times  in  the 
course  of  his  life  ?  If  the  community  wants  a  piece  of 
ground,  hundreds  are  eager  to  sell,  for  a  goodly  reniuner- 


BE  CONTENT  TO  LIVE  IN  THE  LAND  OF  THY  BIRTH.   59 

ation,  little  caring  that  their  ancestors  once  lived 
upon  it. 

AVe  ought  to  regard,  as  one  of  Nature's  hints,  the  fact 
that  man  is  always  strongest  and  happiest  and  most  con- 
tent in  his  native  home,  wherever  that  home  maybe: 
"  Here  I  will  cast  anchor,  and  if  storms  do  not  drive 
me  away,  I  will  live,  work  and  die  here ;  here  would  I 
see  my  children  roai-ed  and  settled."  Staff  in  hand, 
loins  girded,  ever  prejjared  for  change,  living  for  the 
day  and  mistrusting  the  morrow — that  is  not  the  way  to 
find  happiness  in  life.  Choose  a  country,  and  love  it ; 
choose  an  occu])ation,  and  be  faithful  to  it,  working 
earnestly,  perseveringly  and  trustfully,  thus  preparing 
better  times.  Whatever  is  yours  by  inheritance  or 
honest  gain  should  please  you,  and  seem  better  and 
more  beautiful  than  royal  estates.  Unlike  those  that 
are  ever  seekiug  happiness  in  change,  to  whom  the 
belongings  of  others  always  seem  better  and  more  desira- 
l)lc  than  their  own,  who  are  never  satisfied  witii  what 
they  themselves  possess;  uidike  those  that  arc  willing 
to  sell  auything  and  everything  for  gold,  and  rati-  the 
value  of  every  possession  according  to  the  gold  standard 
— unlike  such,  have  ye  a  fatherland  that  ye  love,  a  city,  a 
town,  a  bit  of  ground,  a  home  to  wliicli  ye  arc  attached, 
a  house  in  which  ye  feel  at  home,  in  wliicli  to  live,  not 
to  lie  bartered  away  Cruni  lime  lu  (line,  ami  thus  form 
ye  a  link  in  tlie  i'amily  chain,  and  add  to  its  sacred 
traditions. 

"  liriiig  forth  abundantly  in  llii'  earth,  and  multipl\- 
therein  !" 


THE  TOWER  OF  BABEL. 

GEN.   XI. 

Was  there  anytliiiig  sinful  in  the  buihling  of  the 
Tower  of  Babel  ?  LTj)on  ciilnily  perusing  the  story,  we 
find  therein  neither  sin  nor  punishment  of  sin.  "A 
tower  whose  top  may  reach  unto  heaven  "  has  been  con- 
strued as  an  expression  of  sinful  audacity^  as  if  the 
builders  of  the  tower  had  had  the  intention  of  storming 
heaven  and  dethroning  (lod  ;^  whereas,  it  is  evident  that 
the  expression  "  reach  unto  heaven  "  is  merely  figura- 
tive, and  means  "  very  high,"  just  as  it  conveys  the  idea 
of  the  superlative  in  the  phrase,  "the  cities  are  walled 
and  great  unto  heaven.'\  Altogether,  speculation  and 
tradition  have  been  too  active  about  the  Tower  of  Babel,. 
The  main  question  was  not  the  building  of  a  tower — that 
is  mentioned  incidentally-^it  is  really  the  building  of  a 
city  that  is  spoken  of.  Why,  the  last  words  are :  "  and 
'  '  '_  7  they  left  off  to  build  the  city.'V  But,  surely,  the  tale 
— I  L.  must  have  some  meaning !  fCertainly  it  has  a  meaning, 
but  one  far  more  natural  ana  rational  than  has  generally 
I  I    l)een  attributed  to  it.     Let  us  try  to  elucidate  it^ 

~  "And  the  whole  earth  was  of  one  language  and  of 
one  speech." 

Two  opposing  forces  act  upon  man.  ^  AVhen  two  peo- 
ple live  together,  sometimes  from  their  very  first  meeting, 
this  conflict  of  feelings  becomes  noticeable..   The  one 

JIUH'  iip'yu  f:iH^  Vi>-n'l 


i/ 


THE   TOWER   OF   BABEL.  61 

tendency  is  toward  individualism,  toward  a  life  of  un- 
trammelled, personal  liberty^  to  do  what  we  will,  and  to 
take  what  we  can.  t  This,  according  to  the  Bible,  was 
the  tendency  of  man  before  the  deluge : ,"  the  land  was 
filled  with  violence."  *  People  in  whom  this  tendency 
predominates  are  just  as  hard  to  get  on  with  nowadays. ^ 
They  cause  unhuppiness  in  ^TTaT^ied  life,  and  dissensions 
in  societies  ;  they  mar  the  peace  of  the  community,  and 
aj^-anarohwfa:  in  political  life.  But  man  cannot  live  for 
himself  alone  ;  he  is  a  being  with  social  needs,  and  their 
satisfaction  necessitates  limitations  to  the  personal  liberty 
of  the  individual.^  To  find  the  happy  medium  between 
the  two  extremes  is  the  duty  of  every  individual  towards 
himself,  and  of  every  one  who  has  it  in  his  power  to 
adjust  the  laws  of  the  community. 

The  extreme  of  self-control  and  self-effacement  is  shown 
in  the  story  of  the  Tower  of  Babel,  t  After  building  it, 
the  peoj)le  wanted  to  remain  together,  to  form  owe  com- 
munity, to  speak  one  tongue,  and,  in  every  respect,  to 
^-^-Jead  the  same  life,  t  To  accomplish  this,  each  one  would 
ij-^  I  '  havt;  been  obliged  to  sacrifice  almost  wholly  his  individ- 
ual liberty.^  This  personal  restriction,  which  is  imposed 
by  all  desp(jtic  governments,  to  a  certain  extent  by  all 
monarchies,  and  even  by  some  republics,  renders  the 
citizen  a  mere  stone  in  the  social  structure.^  He  does 
not  exist  for  his  own  sai<e,  but  only  as  a  part  of  the 
whole.f  lie  is  like  one  of  the  bricks  in  the  ti>wer.  •  The 
brick  was  not  baked  for  the  sake  of  the  brick  itself,  but 
to  be  used  in  building  the  tower.  > 

That,  indeed,  is  the  view  of  coiujuerors  of  ancient  and 
nKtdern  times.  The  man,  as  an  imlividual,  has  no 
value — of  what  consequence  is  he?     Jiiit  he  is  re<|uired 


'-,  /  -r 


62  SABBATH   HOURS. 

US  a  stone  to  assist  in  building  up  a  monarchy  or  an 
empire.  ^NN' hat  cared  Nebuchadnezzar  or  Cyrus  for  the 
welfare  o^the  people  upon  whom  he  made  war?  What 
cared  Alexander  the  Great  for  the  welfare  of  the  Asi- 
atics ?  AVhat  cared  the  bloody  Roman  for  the  comfort  or 
happiness  of  the  peoples  far  and  near  whom  he  con- 
quered ?  Did  Napoleon  go  to  Moscow  to  advance  the 
welfare  of  the  Russians  ?  Does  Russia  care  to  make  the 
Turks  happy?!  In  every  case,  the  object  was  to  secure 
bricks  for  the  structure  of  power ;  and  so  men  and 
peoples  are  formed  into  bricks  to  be  utilized  in  that  struc- 
ture.* Anyone  who,  in  matrimonial  or  business  relations, 
requires  the  other  party  to  live  only  for  him  and  his 
advantage,  and  so  asserts  his  own  individuality ^that  the 
individuality  of  his  associate  is  crushed — on  a  small 
scale,  he,  too,  is  a  conqueror  and  a  tyrant.  ^  The  people 
with  whom  he  comes  into  contact  are  only  bricks  to  him, 
to  be  used  at  his  pleasure  and  to  his  advantage. »  It  is 
■  one  of  the  violent  methods  of  despotism  to  force  the 
I)eople  under  a  common  yoke,  to  make  them  forget  their 
own  language,  and  adopt  that  of  their  conqueror.*  Uni- ' 
formity  in  religion,^  uniformity  in  manners  and  customs, 
but  above  all,  uniformity  in  language ! 

Experience  teaches  us  that  differences  of  language 
and  the  consequent  division  of  people  into  separate 
nations  and  tribes,  protected  the  liberty  of  mankind.* 
For  liberty,  when  driven  away  by  one  people,  always 
found  another  somewhere  on  the  face  of  the  earth 
to  abide  with.  ♦  Differences  of  language  prevent  the 
formation  of  universal  empires,  which  are  the  graves 
of  li]x'rty.(  Whenever  any  such  liave  been  welded  to- 
gether, by  means  of  blood  and  iron,  they  have  soon  fallen 


THE   TOWER   OF    BABEL.  63 

into  their  component  parts,  by  reason  of  the  different 
tongues. 

—  Varieties  of  language  are  the  safeguard,  not  only  of  poli- 
tical liberty,  but  also  of  religious  and  scientific  freedom./^ 
/Thought  may  be  fettered  in  some  one  place,  but  the 
power  of  the  oppressor  can  penetrate  no  further  than  his 
lancjuage  goes^ 

rA\'(je  to  us,  had  the  Latin  or  the  Greek  tongue  become 
urffversal  in  the  Roman  Empire,  as  the  Romans  and  the 
Greeks,  respectively,  endeavored  to  make  it !  Roman 
Christianity  would  then,  in  its  sway,  have  become  co-ex- 
tensive with  the  Latin  language. 

Woe  to  the  world,  had  the  Arabic  tongue  become 
universal  twelve  hundred  years  ago !  If  so,  jNIoham- 
medanism  wi^uld  now  be  the  universal  religion.  The 
Reformation  could  not  have  gained  a  foothold  among 
Christians  in  the  Protestant  countries,  had  not  the  Bible 
been  translated  into  the  language  of  the  country,  and 
thus  reached  the  people.  Moses  Mendelssohn  was  no 
reformer,  neither  in  his  life  nor  in  his  teachings,  but  by 
translating  the  Hebrew  J>ible  into  good  German,  he 
tijok  the  preliminary  ste|)  to  reform^ 

--. Xhus^  too,  the  story  of  the  Tower  of  Babel  conveys  to 

lis  the  les-son  that  unilunnity  of  language  and  custom 
was  not  included  in  the  scheme  of  creation.,  CJod  scat- 
tered the  j)eople  over  the  earth,  and  gave  them  dilferent 
languages  to  make;  them  live  in  separate  nations  and 
tribes.  I  Man  is  not  to  be  like  one  of  the  bricks  in  the 
tower;  his  individuality  demands  respect.  .  ~  — ^  - 
\  "And  it  came  to  pass,  as  they  joiinicved  iVom  llif 
VaxsI,  that  they  found  a  |)Iain  in  the  bmd  of  Shinar  ; 
and  they  dwelt  there.'^  * 


64  SABBATH   HOURS. 

According-  to  the  ancients — the  rule  would  scarcely 
apply  to  the  United  States — liberty  dwells  in  the  moun- 
tains, and  bondage  in  the  valleys  ;  in  tlie  mountains 
there  is  poverty,  in  the  valleys  there  is  wealth.  The 
sparse  vegetation  in  tlie  mountains,  coupled  with  the 
absence  of  rivers  and  seacoast,  del)arring  the  inhal)itants 
from  all  opportunities  for  profitable  trade,  naturally 
compels  them  to  industry  and  moderation,  the  cardinal 
virtues  of  civil  life.  The  clear,  pure  light  and  atmosphere 
incite  to  free  thought  and  ideal  living.  On  the  plains 
the  fertility  of  the  soil  and  the  oj^portunities  for  carrying 
on  trade  and  thus  acquiring  wealth,  spoil  the  people  and 
crush  their  spirit.  In  a  life  of  luxury,  the  higher 
things  of  life  are  disregarded,  and  the  love  of  liberty  is 
lost.  "And  from  thence  did  the  Lord  scatter  them 
abroad  upon  the  face  of  all  the  earth."  The  mountains 
were  to  have  dwellers  to  preserve  liberty,  while  the  val- 
leys were  to  be  peopled  by  those  whose  mission  it  was  to 
garner  wealth  for  purposes  of  enlightenment  and  civili- 
zation. "  Go  to,  let  us  build  us  a  city  and  a  tower, 
whose  toj)  niay  reach  unto  heaven,  and  let  us  make  us  a 
name,  lest  we  be  scattered  abroad  upon  the  face  of  the 
whole  earth." 

The  cities  are  the  homes  of  intelligence  and  refined 
culture,  of  love  of  art  and  the  sesthctic  sense.  There  we 
find  the  fostering  spirits  of  all  these  high  endeavors, 
teachers  of  science  as  well  as  the  self-denying  rich,  who, 
having  hoarded  wealth,  a])ply  it  to  the  furtherance  of 
noble  enterprises.  In  the  cities,  tlie  schemes  originate 
which  distribute  wealth  like  a  fructifying  stream  over  the 
entire  country.  In  the  cities,  people  of  genius  and  talent 
congregate  ;  everyone  who  is  pre-eminent  in  his  specialty 


THE  TOWER   OF   BABEL.  65 

seeks  the  city,  where  his  services  will  be  appreciated. 
But  in  the  cities,  there  is  also  luxury,  extravagance, 
corruption,  pretence.  There,  every  physical  and  moral 
power  is  strained  and  over-exerted  to  meet  the  insatiable 
demands  of  city  life  and  customs.  Political  and  moral 
sins  alike  find  a  most  congenial  home  there.  The 
rabble  that  collects  there  is  ready  for  any  crime,  even 
for  treason  ;  traitors  to  their  country  have  ever  found 
and  bought  their  minions  in  the  city. 

In  the  country,  life  is  more  simple ;  there  is  more  sin- 
cerity, more  modesty,  more  cordiality,  more  industry 
and  moderation.  On  the  other  hand,  there  is  less  intel- 
lectuality, le&s  taste  for  art  and  science,  and  less  oppor- 
tunity to  cultivate  or  teach  these  ;  there  is  less  enterprise 
and  a  more  limited  horizon  in  every  direction. 

A  country  in  which  city  life  predominates  would  be  a 
misfortune,  as  has  been  proved  by  Sidon  and  Tyre,  Car- 
thage and  Venice.  But  a  country  of  villages  and  farms 
and  no  cities,  a  land  of  peasants  without  business  and 
tradesmen,  such  as  I'ri  and  Schwyx  in  Swit/X'rland,  would 
permit  of  none  l)ut  a  heavy,  clownish  existence,  a  life  of 
stagnation,  in  which  progress  in  matters  of  religion,  of 
civil  law,  of  art  and  science,  of  trade,  of  constitutional 
government,  and  even  of  agriculture,  would  not  be  possi- 
ble. When  combined  with  the  restlessness  of  city  life 
the  conservatism  of  country  life  is  a  valuable  factor  in 
the  rcgidation  of  well-ordered  progress.  Left  to  itself, 
tliis  conservatism  would  degenerate  into  complett!  inertia. 
Therefore,  the  Scriptural  narrative  says  that  "The  Lord 
scattered  them  abroad  upon  the  face  of  all  the  earth; 
and  they  left  off  to  build  the  city." 

"  And  it  came  to  pass,  as  they  journeyed  from  the  East." 

6 


66  SABBATH   HOURS. 

There  is  a  migration  of  people  from  tlie  East  across 
the  ocean  to  this  country,  too.  Thence,  where  circum- 
stances have  taught  them  to  live  industriously  and 
modestly,  they  come  here  to  assist  in  a  structure  so  great 
and  magnificent,  that  figuratively  its  top  reaches  unto 
heaven.  The  immigrants  build  up  both  cities  and  vil- 
lages. Under  such  circumstances,  there  is  no  danger 
in  building.  The  increase  in  the  population  of  the  cities 
is  counterbalanced  by  the  ever-increasing  country  popu- 
lation. But  we  Israelites,  as  a  religious  brotherhood, 
have  not  maintained  this  nice  adjustment.  The  nuijority 
of  our  co-religionists  in  Europe  lived  in  villages  and 
country  towns.  There  were  they  brought  up  in  the 
school  of  industry  and  moderation,  and  there,  too,  they 
could  live  in  strict  obedience  to  the  behests  of  their 
religion,  without  coming  into  conflict  with  the  outer 
world. 

Kow,  in  the  old  world  as  here,  the  tide  of  hiimanity 
flows  toward  the  cities;  country  communities  are  dwind- 
ling away.  Here,  in  our  re])ublic,  all  the  immigrant 
Israelites  become  city  dwellers ;  the  counterbalancing, 
conservative  country  communities  are  lacking.  The 
restrictions  imposed  by  our  religion  are  daily  disregarded 
in  favor  of  the  demands  of  city  life.  So  much  for  the 
practice.  As  for  the  theory,  the  teachings  of  our  faith — 
they  are  not  so  readily  and  blindly  accepted  l)y  the 
city  dweller,  who  comes  into  contact  Avith  all  sorts  of 
ideas,  as  by  the  simple  countryman.  The  ra])id  trans- 
formation in  the  life  of  the  Jewish  people  here,  in  their 
thoughts  and  actions,  is  due  to  the  change  from  the 
country  to  the  city;  the  pious,  slow,  conservative  coun- 
tryman has  become  an  easy-going  townsman. 


THE   TOWER   OF   BABEL.  67 

O  would  that  Israelites,  wliile  enjoying  city  advan- 
tages and  adopting  city  customs,  did  but  retain  the  rural 
sinqjlicity,  steadiness,  industriousness  and  virtuous  life 
of  their  former  rural  homes  !  INIay  they,  like  the  flower 
transplanted  to  a  new  soil,  not  wilt  in  their  divine  heri- 
tage, but  l)e  ennobled,  and  bear  fruits  that  will  find 
favor  in  the  sight  of  God  and  man  I 


LEARNING  AND  FORGETTING. 

"  Now  the  Lord  had  said  unto  Abram,  Get  thee  out  of  thy  country,  and 
from  thy  kindred,  and  from  thy  father's  house,  unto  a  land  that  I 
will  shew  thee."— Gen.  XII :  1. 

Man  has  a  twofold  task  here  below  :  to  learn  and  to 
forget.  The  latter  is  the  more  difficult  of  the  two. 
Although,  at  first  blush,  nothing  seems  easier  than  to 
forget,  and  nothing  more  difficult  than  to  learn  ;  a 
moment's  thought  Avill  show  us  that  the  most  important 
functions  in  life,  particularly  of  mental  life,  are  acquired 
without  any  trouble.  We  learn  to  think,  speak,  subor- 
dinate ourselves,  to  be  ashamed,  to  be  merciful,  and  to 
practise  other  virtues — yea,  and  some  of  the  vices — of 
our  civilization,  by  merely  living  in  our  country,  in  our 
birthplace,  in  our  home. 

AVhat  we  learn  in  the  school-room,  in  the  sweat  of  our 
brow,  is  of  minor  account ;  the  most  important  things 
in  life  we  learn  easily,  without  thought  or  trouble,  invol- 
untarily and  unconsciously,  in  our  intercourse  with 
men.  Now,  if  we  were  to  pause  reverently  before  this 
naturally  acquired  wealth  of  thought,  feeling,  speech 
and  action,  there  would  be  neither  progress  nor  develop- 
ment ;  one  generation  would  follow  another,  and  each 
one  be  like  the  last.  Many  mistakes  and  failings,  un- 
consciously acquired,  must  be  forgotten,  if  there  is  to  be 
improvement,  and   this  forgetting  is  very  difficult  of 

68 


LEARNING   AND   FORGETTING.  G9 

accomplishmeut ;  the  force  of  habit  inclines  us  to  learn 
with  ease,  but  to  forget  far  less  easily. 

From  time  to  time,  therefore,  there  must  arise  original 
thinkers,  who,  above  and  beyond  the  inheritance  of  past 
ages,  have  ideas  of  their  own,  revelations  in  art,  trades, 
professions,  science  or  religion.  They  impel  the  masses 
to  follow  slowly  in  the  paths  they  have  made.  INIinor 
geniuses  direct  small  matters,  the  fashions  of  the  day  ; 
they  appear  and  vanish  like  meteors  on  the  social  hori- 
zon. For  matters  of  more  lasting  import,  there  are  a 
few  bright  minds  which  shiue  like  guiding  stars  upon 
the  human  pathway.  But  for  the  great  thoughts  that 
revolutionize  history,  and  flood  the  earth  witli  light  like 
the  morning  sun,  the  centuries  jirepare  and  wait,  until 
the  man  is  born,  from  whose  mind  shall  emanate  the 
thouglits  that  are  destined  to  create  a  new  order  of 
things  in  countries  and  among  peoples. 

Such  a  man  was  Aln-aham.  To  him  came  the  divine 
message  which  we  have  choiieu  for  oi«-text :  to  leave 
his  country  and  his  l)irthplacc  and  his  family,  and  go 
to  a  land  that  God  would  show  him,  a  new  world  of 
thought,  wliich  he  was  to  l)e  the  first  to  unlock. 

When  the  shock  of  surjjrise,  occasiimcd  by  ihc  dis- 
covery of  America,  had  abated,  there  were  many  rciuly 
to  belittle  tlie  merit  of  tlie  discoverer,  saying  that 
it  was  a  sirii])l('  nuittcr,  that  llic  thought  tliat  led 
to  the  discovery  was  so  natural  that  otlu-rs  besides 
Columbus  might  have  conceived  it.^In  the  same  way," 
the  thought  of  one  God,  in  opposition  to  the  idea  that 
the  divine,  creative  forces  are  distrihuted  among  many 
gods,  seems 80  natural  that  it  might  have  been  discovered, 
and  introduced  to  the  world  by  thousands  and   millions 


/ 


70  SABBATH   HOURS. 

besides  Abraham,  f  The  logical  consequeuces  of  the 
belief  in  one  God — the  doctrine  of  universal  brother- 
hood, and  the  code  of  morals  governing  mankind — are 
so  generally  accepted  by  ns,  tha^a  large  proportion  of 
people,  educated  and  uneducated,  particularly  the  latter 
when  they  are  prosperous,^,  think  that  if  they  be  but 
good  and  honest,  they  can  get  on  very  well  without 
any  God  whatever.^  But  we  must  consider  that  in 
Abraham's  day,  and  before  and  after  him,  the  world, 
including  its  thinkers  and  sages,  was  heathen,  and 
that  the  morals  that  hedge  us  about  to-day  are  mono- 
theistic not  heathenish.  


—  Abraham  could  never  have  become  what  he  did,  if 
he  had  not  possessed  the  power  to  forget  and  to  unlearn 
what  he  had  been  taught  in  his  country/  in  his  birth- 
placa^and  in  his  home.^C^ocra.tes,"Flato,  Aristotl^Sl^ 
other  sages  of  antiquity  forgot  a  great  deal ;  that  isTthey 

.emancipated  themselves  from  the  mistaken  thoughts 
and  fancies  of  their  countrymen  and  associates.  /  But 
tliey  remained  heathens  withal ;  they  could  not  discover 
and  pronuilgate  the  true  belief  in  God.  because  they  did 
not  sufficiently  emancipate  themselves  from  the  influence 
of  their  country,  their  birthplace  and  their  intimate 
a.-sociates. 

I  In  Christendom,  there  are  many  bright  minds  and 
logical  thinkers,  possessed  of  keen  powers  of  analysis, 
and  imbued  with  the  desire  to  seek  truth  and  truth  only, 
to  serve  truth  and  truth  only.  If,  nevertheless,  they 
stand  spellbound  before  their  inherited  faith,  and  let  it 
define  the  circle  of  their  rea.soning,  we  need  not  at  once 
cry  out,  and  brand  them  as  hypocrites.  It  is  evident, 
they  cannot  completely  emancipate  themselves  from  the 


LEARNING    AND   FORGETTING.  71 

influence  of  their  country,  their  birthplace,  and  their 
home ;  they  are  not  strong  enough  to  forget  and  unlearn 
as  radically  as  Abraham  did." 


It  is  tb»s  good  to  be  able  to  forget.)  But,  on  the 
other  hand,  fegrgettiit^^js- auUwi  uumiifod  gnQflji  ^  One's 
country,  one's  birthplace,  one's  home  should,  from 
another  point  of  view,  not  be  forgotteuuii  Abraham  held  • 
them  in  loving  memory  and  esteem  throughout  his  life.^ 
-When,  after  an  absence  of  sixty-five  years,  he  was  seek- 
ing a  wife  for  Isaac,  he  bethought  himself  of  his  old 
home  ii  only  there,  he  imagined,  and  possibly  only  in  his 
own  family,  would  he  find  a  woman  worthy  of  his  son 
and  of  his  son's  future.  .  We  must  forget  with  discrimi- 
nation :  some  old  recollections  and  influences  must  be 
eradicated)  whereas  others  ought  to  be  religiously  pre- 
served. 

"  Out  of  thy  country  "  was  the  command  that  came 
to  Abraham.  Man  is  influenced  by  the  climate  of  the 
country  in  which  he  lives.  Neither  the  frigid  nor  the 
tropic  zone  has  ever  produced  a  great  man.  In  the 
northern  portion  of  our  licmi.sphere,  in  the  temperate 
zone,  there  are  calm,  ddiberatA'  thinkei's;  the  south  gives 
rise  to  more  emotional,  more  imaginative  men  ;  the 
former  are  more  active  and  energetic,  the  latter  are  far 
UKjre  iniprcHsioiiahli',  Itut  they  are  more  indolent  and 
pa.ssive  in  disposition.  "  Get  thee  out  of  thy  country  " 
— rise  above  the  influence  of  fliniatc  ! ^__ 

The  inhabitants  of  every  country  possess  advantages  JC4OL 
and  failings.national  virtues  and  national  faults.     "(Jet      ^r\i[ 
thee  out  of  thy  coiuitry,"  free  thyself  from  the  faults 
and  failings  of  the  race  that  claims  thee  ! 

Nations  and  the  inhabitants  of  ditilrcnt  districts  hate 


72  SABBATH   HOURS. 

one  another,  or  at  any  Witt,  are  prejudiced  against  one 
another.  /  "  Get  thee  out  of  thy  country,"  value  every  one 
in  accordance  Avith  liis  worth,  and  judge  him  according 
to  his  bearing,  not  his  parentage.^ 

iSWs  Abraham  =)^<k<!9dS&  crossed  the  Euphrates, 
traversed  Syria,  dwelt  in  the  land  of  Canaan^  went  to 
Egypt  and  returnedj^pitched  his  tents,^and  dug  wells  in 
the  land  of  the  Philistines,  and  everywhere  he  met  with 
kindly  treatment,^  respect,  friendship  and  love.y  Even  -^ 
Sodom  felt  kindly  towards  him,  and  favored  him  by 
suffering  the  presence  of  his  kinsman. ^  For  whither- 
soever he  went,  it  wik  Tls  a  friend  of  humanity  u  he  ^ 
harbored  no  prejudice,  and  therefore  met  with  none.^ 
"Away  from  thy  kindred  and  from  thy  father's 
house.'V  Two  villages,  though  separated  by  but  a 
narrow  meadow  dale,^  may  be  entirely  distinct,  not 
only  in  the  manners,  but  in  the  dialect  and  in  the  moral 
attitude  of  their  inhabitants.  This  is  still  more  apt  to 
be  the  case  with  the  dwellers  in  large  cities.  Boston 
and  IS^ew  Orleans,  Paris  and  Amsterdam,  Naples  and 
Moscow,  Madrid  and  Stockholm  are  complete  contrasts 
in  the  ways,^  thoughts  and  feelings  of  their  inhabitants.  <y 
But  the  difference  in  the  moral  atmospheres  of  the  cities 
of  our  day  cannot  compare  with  that  between  the  cities 
of  old.,  An  Athenian  was  an  entirely  different  being, 
in  character  and  moral  attitude,  from  a  Spartan^ 
The  serious,  stern  citizen  of  ancient  Rome  was  the 
exact  opposite  of  the  luxurious,  careless,  easy-going 
Tarentincvjihe  of  Jerusalem  Avas  entirely  different  from 
him  of  Sidon,  or  even  of  Galilee,  although  the  distance 
between  these  cities  and  the  province  was  very  insignifi- 
cant.r)  To  Abraham  came  the  message  to  tear  himself 


LEARNING   AND   FORGETTING.  78 

away  from  the  moral  peculiarities  of  his  country^  aud  to 
enter  a  new  realm  of  truth  and  morality ,|iu  which  the 
whole  earth  and  all  its  inhabitants  might  have  a  part.-f- 
-The  hardest  and  most  serious  task  fc  is  to  leave  the 
"father's  house,'\tQ_^ancipatt'  uuisclvr?  mentally  and. 
igptrJtnallyinagTourilS^Tr,  The  task  is  difficult  because 
nature^  gratitude,^  the  memories  of  our  youth  and  the 
sacred  reverence  we  bear  our  parents^ all^  rebel  against 
it^  and  because  every  nerve  and  fibre  of  our  being  is 
interwoven  with  the  traditions  of  our  parental  homes.  ^ 

^  The  task  is  a  serious  one,  because  its  accomplishment 
threatens  to  shatter,  to  its  very  foundations,  the  structure 
of  our  religious  and  moral  lives.^  The  home  is  the  light- 
house that  shines  out  across  the  sea  of  life  to  warn  us,/ 
when  the  storms  of  passion  or  tire  flm<ji^t'S 'iw!To?rs  of 
temptation  threaten  our  destruction.  ^  In  the  hour  of 
temptation,  the  vauoi'mWe  forms  of  our  parents  appear 
to  us,  even  thougli  they  be  far  away,  or  no  longer  of  this 
world  ;  they  plead  with  us  and  warn  us,  pointing  out  the 
paths  of  repentance  and  virtue. 

--^  We  must  rcmeiuber  that  Abraham  had  readied  his 
seventy-fifth  year  CroHie  felt  himself  strong  enough  to 
tear  himself  away  from  the  lionic  and  the  faith  of  his 
father,  and  without  (huigcr  to  the  peace  of  his  soul  to 
followjout^  his  own  ideas  of  truth  and  piety. ^Nor  did 
he  lose  sight  of  a  iixed  goal  v  "  Unto  a  land  that  I  will  "T" 
shew  thee.".  He  knew  that  this  goal  would  more  than  7^ 
re])ay  him  for  all  he  was  renouncing.  4 

---The  message  that  cain(!  to  Abraham,  to  forget  and  to 
learn,  comes  tons  all.y  It  is  our  duty  to  Icmvc.  the  honu-s 
of  our  fathers,  n<itiuiL^Llitu:uily  Lut  lixunitively  ns  well^ 
and  to  correct  in  ourselves  the  abuses,  the  j)rejudices,  the 


74  SABBATH   HOURS. 

harshness,  and  the  mistakes  of  faith^  thought  and  action, 
that  we  inlierU-    Iklt  let  us  beware,  lest,  in  eradicating 
the  weeds,  we^ar  up  the  roots  of  our  moral  and  relig- 
ious life,  fostered  in  the  sanctuary  of  the  home.  4 
*\_  It  was  not  until  Abraham  was  seventy-five  years  old 
that  he  felt  able  to  cross  the  threshold  of  his  homeland 
to  erect  a  new  one  for  future  generations.  )^  We  of  to-day 
p  ^   lorget  more  readily  y  we   leave  our   homes  in  g^fesy 
•L  |f(^^^uth^  not  only  do  we  leave  the  parental  roof^but  men- 
;  D  rW^lly  and  spiritually,  and  in  matters  of  worhlly  import,'^ 
\   \\      we  throw  off  its  subtle  safeguards.)!  Abraham  tried  to 
■>.  p  realize  an  ideal  that  ever  hovered  before  him  \  he  knew 
1    J  V~  whence  he  had  come,  and  whither  he  was  going.     Do 
1  n  r     ?re  know  whither  we  tend  ?    We  are  to  forget — verv  well  • 
l)ut  what  will  we  learn,  what  are  we  to  learn  ?     Where 
Q   .      is  the  land  that  God  will  show  xxs^ .     Where  shall  we 
stop?     We  cannot    remain    and  Qiight  not  to   remain 
where  oui-  fathers  were.  >  But  let  us  not  leave  our  homes 
"■      nwiiiuffiK  ;  lot  us  carefully  and  wisely  select  what  should 
be  forgotten,  and  replace  it  by  what  is  better  worth  know- 
r)\J^\.  ing.  .  Jilverything  that  recalls  father  and  mother,  and 
"TToes  not  prevent  the  children  from  leading  good,  true 
lives,  is  a  blessing  to  them.  ^  Virtue  has  no  better  safe- 
guard than  the  enduring   memory  of  home,^and  the 
anchor  of  faith  is  safest,  when  imbedded  in  our  youth.  ^ 
^  Let  us  wiio  are  the  heajds  gliomas  blp?ised-wiiJi^s4*+Wren, 

'    _        see.  to  it  that,  whenH!&4y  grOw  ui  manhood  and  Avoraan- 
'  ^  J      hood^  and  measure  the  worth  of  the  spiritual  legacy 
we  leave  them,, they  may  find  little  to  forget,  and  much 
R  / V     ^  to  hold  in  honor  and  in  loving,  blessed  remembrance. 

AD^  r(^/(  ':o[j  m^ ,  f^r  t.  l^Ho^i  f-nrt.  rm  he  W 

coMM/\HP  HI/ CHILDRCN   /\ND  Hl^HoJ 

HO  Lb  AnrR  hiM.t/iAt  im  SHML 

Keep  the  v/ay  or  tub  lokd^  to  d. 


THE  MASSES  FOLLOW  A  FEW  THINKERS. 

"So  Abram  departed,  as  the  Lord  had  spoken  unto  him ; and  Lot  went 
with  him."— Gen.  XII  :  4. 

Abraham  and  Lot  acted  alike  in  leaving  their  coun- 
try and  their  home  for  the  land  of  Canaan,  but  from 
dittei-ent  motives.  The  former  recognized  a  divine  mis- 
sion ;  his  action  was  the  result  of  his  own  juature 
thoughts  and  feelings :  "And  Abram  departed  as  the 
Lord  had  spoken  unto  him."  The  latter  went  simply 
l)ecause  his  uncle  did.  Had  his  uncle  remained  at 
home,  it  W(juld  not  have  occurred  to  Lot  to  go.  "And 
Lot  went  with  him."     Lot  merely  accompanied  iiim. 

Such  is  the  practice  of  the  world.  There  have,  at  all 
time.x,  l)een  only  few  original,  independent  thinkers — 
surprisingly  few.  The  vast  majority  of  tlie  millions  and 
millions  of  jjcoplc  tliat  have  existed  and  now  exist, 
think,  speak  and  act  acconling  to  prescribed  models. 
In  small  circles,  comparatively  small  minds  suffice  to  do 
the  thinking  for  all  ;  in  more  extensive  circles,  more 
j)rf)found  thinkers  are  recpiired  to  third<  for  every  mem- 
ber of  the  larger  constituency.  It  is  the  same  with 
regard  to  periods  of  time.  For  short  periods,  there  are 
minor  heralds  of  thought.  Each  day,  each  year,  each 
lustrum,  luw  its  pervading  thought,  which  emanates 
from  someone  brain,  but  with  the  day,  with  the  year, 
with   tli(^   lustriiiii,   the    thought    i)a.>ses    away.     Others, 

75 


76  SABBATH   HOURS. 

more  potent  thinkers,  influence  a  quarter,  a  half  or  the 
whole  of  a  century  with  their  thoughts.  Generations 
upon  generations  come  and  go,  and  copy  them  in 
tliought  and  speech,  and  fancy  themselves  to  be  original. 
Then  there  are  independent  thinkers  that  have  done  the 
thinking,  that  have  been  examples  to  the  world,  in 
thought  and  feeling  and  action,  for  thousands  of  years. 
Such  an  one  was  Abraham. 

Abraham  followed  neither  in  the  path  of  his  ancestors, 
nor  in  that  of  his  contemporaries ;  his  mind  branched 
out  into  new  directions.  He  went,  as  God  had  com- 
manded him.  He  had  the  strength  and  the  courage  for 
new  thought  and  independent  action,  regardless  of  the 
past  and  of  his  own  time. 

In  Abraham  we  see  the  independent  thinker  of  preg- 
nant thoughts,  whereas  Lot,  according  to  our  text,  is  as 
a  mirror,  in  which  imitators  may  recognize  themselves. 

We  pride  ourselves  upon  being  descended  from 
Abraham;  but  in  our  intellectual  and  religious  life, 
we  are  more  like  Lot.  We  are  great  imitators. 
We  do  not  speak  of  imitation  in  social  life,  for 
that  is  common  to  frail  humanity.  Let  us  speak 
of  that  which  concerns  us  Israelites  more  particu- 
larly. In  both  camps,  into  which  Israel  is  divided, 
there  ai-e  thousands  upon  thousands  who  unthinkingly 
follow  others,  as  Lot  went  with  Abraham.  It  is  proper 
that  it  should  be  so  with  the  orthodox.  In  believers,  it 
is  a  necessary  virtue  to  exclude  independent  thought 
from  the  field  of  religion.  Imitation  in  thought  and 
action  is  the  essence  of  a  true,  firm  faith.  Thought  is 
employed  only  to  explain  and  justify  inherited  thoughts 
and  practices. 


THE   JIASSES   FOLLOW    A    FEW   THINKERS.  77 

But  if  anyone  imagines  that  there  are  only  thinkers 
in  the  other  canij),  he  is  greatly  in  error.  There  are 
very  few  reformers ;  of  the  reformed  there  are  many. 

In  the  Christian  Church,  those  that  have  renounced 
the  old  doctrines  call  themselves  "  The  Reformed." 
That  is  a  modest  way  of  expressing  the  fact ;  we  are 
reformed,  it  may  be  by  birth,  or  education,  or  instruc- 
tion, or  example,  or  by  the  force  of  circumstances. 
Had  the  reformed  of  the  present  day  lived  four  hundred 
years  ago,  they  would,  perhaps,  one  and  all,  have  joined 
the  Catholic  ranks,  as  they  now  do  those  of  the  reform 
movement.  Huss,  Wicliffe,  Luther,  Zwingli,  Calvin — 
these  were  Rejormera — original  thinkers  in  the  midst  of 
a  Catholic  world. 

Tliose  among  us  that  have  discarded  the  old  teachings, 
and  particularly  the  minutely  regulated,  orthodox-Jewish 
ways  of  life,  have  drifted  on  with  the  spirit  of  the 
times  into  the  reform  movement.  We  are  reformed. 
The  Israelites  of  the  present  day  that  call  them- 
selves reformers  would,  in  Spinoza's  day,  undoubtedly 
have  done  their  share  in  denouncing  the  independent 
thinker. 

But  we  must  uui  Ite  too  severe  upon  ourselves,  for 
such  is  the  way  f)f  the  world.  In  every  field  of  human 
activity,  there  arc  but  few  fresh,  l)ubbling  springs  of 
thought,  whence  the  innumerable  Lot.s  draw  their  wis- 
dom. ^VIly,  then,  shouM  it  l)e  otherwise  in  religious 
matt(;rsy  In  every  family  circle,  in  every  a.'^sociatioii, 
great  or  small,  there  are  a  few  that  fnrnisli  the  thoughts, 
which  the  others  absorb  and  adopt,  believing  themselves 
to  be  the  originators.  Hundreds  go  to  Washington,  to 
Congress ;  there,  also,  there  are  but  few  that  supply  the 


78  SABBATH   HOURS. 

thoughts,  and  determine  the  current  of  debates,  and  who 
shall  say  whence  those  few  derive  their  inspiration  ? 

Among  thousands  of  artists  there  are  but  few  original 
masters  that  strike  out  into  new  paths;  the  majority 
practise  art  according  to  old  laws  and  old  models. 

In  the  domain  of  science,  there  are  few  that  write 
books  containing  original  thoughts.  As  a  rule,  scientific 
men  learn  Avhat  is  taught  them,  and  teach  what  they 
have  learned. 

In  pedagogy,  it  is  the  same.  For  three  thousand 
years,  the  whole  world  copied  the  sage  that  said,  "  He 
that  loveth  his  son  chastiseth  him,"  and  the  authority  of 
the  rod  was  second  only  to  that  of  the  father.  The  in- 
dispensal)le  instrument  hung  just  above  the  family  table 
in  every  home  blessed  with  children  ;  it  hovered  ever 
above  the  heads  of  the  children  like  the  sword  of  Dam- 
ocles. 

Toward  the  end  of  last  century,  there  came  another 
thinker,  who  said,  "  Who  loveth  his  child,  shall  not 
chastise  it."  At  once  all  the  rods  disappeared,  and  now 
the  chastising  of  a  refractory  pupil  in  a  school  is  tele- 
graphed over  the  entire  country,  and  the  account  perused 
with  feelings  of  indignation. 

Four  thousand  years  ago  Moses  said,  "  Honor  thy 
father  and  thy  mother,"  and  the  command  was  taken  so 
seriously,  and  was  so  much  exaggerated,  that  sons  and 
daughters  scarcely  ventured  to  raise  their  eyes  to  the 
stern  faces  of  their  parents.  The  very  chairs  in  which 
father  and  mother  sat  were  honored.  Contradiction  was 
unknown.  Everyone  knows  how  all  this  is  changed. 
How  did  the  change  come  about?  Surely,  it  could  not 
have  been  the  result  of  a  revelation  made  to  millions 


THE   MASSES    FOLLOW   A    FEW   THINKEES.  79 

simultaneously!  No;  there  was  one  thinker  that  ven- 
tured to  have  and  to  exj^rcss  a  new  thought,  and  in  the 
Vourse  of  time  this  rivulet  of  thought  has  swelled  into 
tlie  mighty  current  of  general  opinion,  carrying  with  it 
countries  and  })eoples. 

Now,  however  true  it  be  that  all  this  is  the  natural 
course  of  events,  that  there  are  few  that  think  and  inaiiy 
that  imitate,  it  docs  not,  therefore,  follow  that  we  are  to 
rest  satisfied  to  be,  in  our  own  persons,  illustrations  of 
the  rule.  It  is  the  natural  course  of  events  that  there 
be  rich  and  poor,  yet  we  are  in  duty  bound  to  endeavor 
to  keep  ourselves  above  poverty.  Even  death  has  its 
good  features,  yet  we  must  try  to  avoid  it. 

Then,  too,  we  should  endeavor  to  advance,  in  the 
great  army  of  imitators  and  echoers,  to  the  rank  of 
commanding  thinkers.  Do  a  little  more  good  than  your 
father  and  jiiother  did,  a  little  more  than  those  about 
you  do.  Let  your  religion  be  like  a  blooming  garden  in 
which  all  is  green  and  thriving.  But  let  not  your  relig- 
ion be  like  a  hoil)arium  of  plants  collected  l)y  vour  fore- 
fathers, shrivelled  into  theological  dogmas,  numbered 
and  scientifically  lal)elled,  and  then  handed  down  to  you 
to  be  carried  about  as  your  religion.  Take  pains  to 
think  intlependciitly  in  nuitters  concerning  your  home, 
your  business  and  your  relations  to  God  and  man.  Do 
not  be  a  Itlind  imitator. 

After  all,  Lot  did  not  make  the  worst  choice.  There 
were  thinkers  among  Abraham's  contemporaries,  whom 
Lot's  entire  family  followed.  Only  the  one  uncle  went 
his  own  way,  anrl  l>ot  followed  him.  His  contempora- 
ries l)uilt  altars,  brought  sacrifices,  ami  called  upon 
their  gods.     So  far  as  these  outward  forms  of  religion 


80  SABBATH   HOUKS. 

go,  Abraham  certainly  had  no  advantage  over  others  in 
Lot's  eyes.  But  Abraham  was  better  and  nobler  in 
thought  and  deed,  superior  to  all  among  whom  he  lived; 
for  Abraham  went  as  the  Lord  had  commanded  him. 
This  determined  Lot  to  follow  and  to  imitate  him. 

In  seeking  a  standard  of  merit  whereby  to  measure 
the  claims  of  rival  Jewish  congregations,  we  should  not 
take  into  consideration  the  beauty  of  the  Temple,  the 
grand  organ,  the  brilliant  preacher,  the  kind  of  prayer- 
book,  or  the  amount  of  religious  decorum ;  what  we 
may  judge  by  is:  the  efficiency  of  the  school  and  the 
amount  of  education,  of  honesty,  of  modesty,  of  human- 
ity, of  domestic  virtue,  of  patriotism  and  of  faith  in 
God. 

Since  we  follow  others,  let  us  follow  the  best,  who, 
like  Abraham,  go  as  God  commands  them. 


i 


VICISSITUDES  OF  FORTUNE. 

Gen.  XIII :  1,  2. 

Abraham,  in  obedience  to  God's  command,  left  the 
home  of  his  fathers,  and  went  to  the  hind  of  Canaan. 
Ere  long,  famine  drove  him  away  into  Egypt,  but  after 
remaining  there  for  some  time,  he  returned  to  the  land 
of  Canaqn.  Before  his  departure  for  Egypt,  he  had  at 
most  been  in  comfortable  circumstances,  but  it  is  more 
probable  that  he  was  impoverished  by  the  famine  that 
had  compelled  him  to  leave.  But  upon  his  return  we  read 
that  "Abraham  was  very  rich."  Before  his  departure, 
while  still  in  comparatively  lowly  circumstances,  we  are 
told  that  "  he  builded  an  altar  unto  the  Lord  who 
appeared  unto  him ;"  further  on,  "  he  builded  an 
altar  unto  the  Lord,"  and  "  he  caHed  upon  the  name  of 
the  Lord."  In  times  of  poverty  and  trouble  and  famine, 
there  is  much  praying  and  calling  upon  tlic  name  of 
the  Lord.  But  experience  teaclics  us  that  increasing 
wcaltii  causes  the  lire  on  the  altars  of  religion  to  burn 
ever  lower,  and  the  thouglits  of  a  succoring  God  to 
become  ever  rarer  uml  weaker. 

Only  at  long  intervals  do  the  prosperous  seek  their 
altars  to  call  upon  (Jod  ;  and,  moreover,  they  deiiiMiuI  :i 
very  different  altar  from  that  which  contented  them  in 
their  i)overty  ;  it  must  be  j)om[)ous  and  niagriificcnt,  else 
they  are  sushamed  to  be  seen  near  it. 
7  81 


82  SABBATH   HOURS. 

uhe  Bible  tells  us,  concerning  Abralnun,  that  "  he 
went  on  his  journeys  ....  unto  tin;  ])l:icc  where 
his  tent  had  been  at  the  beginning,  ....  unto 
the  place  of  the  altar,  which  he  had  made  there  at  the 
lirst^  and  Abrani  called  there  on  the  name  of  the  Lord."  ^ 

--  He,  the  wealthy  Abraham,  the  possessor  of  gold,  silver 
and  herds,  returned  to  the  same  altar  at  which  the  poor 
Abraham  had  worshipped,  and  there  called  upon  the 
name  of  the  Lord.   . 

" —  There  are  ten  proofs  recounted  of  Abraham's  good- 
ness and  piety,  and  one  of  them  is  that  he  did  not  com- 
plain, when  famine  compelled  him  to  leave  the  promised 
land,  which,  at  the  bidding  of  God,  he  had  just  en- 
tered y  but  even  greater  merit,  because  greater  temp- 
tation is  implied  by  the  fact  that,  when  fortune  favored 
him,  he  remained  unchanged,  true  to  himself  and  to 
his  God. /^  Poverty  is  a  temptation  to  depart  from  the 
path  of  honesty  and  from  many  another  virtue  ^  and 
whoever,  through  times  of  poverty,  has  remained  good, 
honest  and  god-fearing,  kindly,  eieaaly,  orderly  and 
resigned  to  his  fate,  has  come  forth  triumphant  from  a 

"  great  trial./  But  wealth  has  its  trials  also,  its  twofold 
trials,  in  fact  i  in  its  acquirement  and  in  its  application. j^ 

-~A  thousand  spirits,  good  and  evil  alike,  lurk  in  money.  ^ 

—The  evil  ones  are  the  tempters  to  dishonest  gain  and  to 
its  use  for  the  gratification  of  every  passion.  (/  There  is  a 

■^magnetic  force  in  moneyi often  more  powerful  than  the 
hand  that  holds  it^  and  drawing  men  whither  it  will. 
Then,  all  honor  be  to  the  rich  man  Avhose  hand  is  more 
powerful  than  his  wealthy  and  who  applies  it  to  truly 
good  and  noble  uses. 

Abraham  stood  both  of  these  tests.     When  trouble 


VICISSITUDES   OF    FORTUNE.  83 

drove  him  out  of  the  land,  he  continued  to  lead  a  pious, 
godly  lifcyand  no  less  so  when  he  became  wealthy..^ 

Nothing  is  more  common  than  to  hear  the  wealthy 
complain  of  the  finilts  of  the  poor,  and  v.usg  verm  the 
poor  of  those  of  the  wealthy — and  nothing  is  more 
"unjust.^  'The  wealthy  do  not  know  the  sensations  of  the 
poor  ;  they  cannot  feel  with  them  and  put  themselves 
into  tlieir  places,  /roverty  and  misery  have  a  demoral- 
izing influence  on  character  ;^ they  deaden  the  sense  of 
honor^and  undermine  the  ways  of  truth  and  sincerity 
in  .speech  and  action,,  and  they  impair  the  love  of  order 
«n£tl3etm^t««ss  and  even  of  econom}\N"\Ve  would  not 
imj)ly  that  poverty  must  perforce  lead  one  to  all  these 
lapses  from  respectability,  but  it  certainly  is  a  strong 
temjttation  t^wTGrrrrto. 

/^AI)raliam  resisted  the  temptation./  Even  during  the 
iamine  lie  remained  good  and  pious.  But  we  cannot 
expect  everyone  to  be  strong  like  Abraham  ;  and  tliere- 
fore  let  the  wealthy  be  cautious  and  considerate  in  their 
judgment  of  the  poor. 

Be  not  angry  if  you  find  the  poor  swerving  from 
tnithfulness;  be  not  indignant  if,  now  and  llicii,  you  :ire 
owt-\vitt<'d  by  a  poor  man,  if  he  wheedles  a  gift  or  a  ser- 
vice out  of  you  which  he  does  not  deserv<'.  Do  not 
leave  him  to  his  fate,  because  he  indulges,  i"or  once, 
beyond  his  means.  Be  not  too  severe  in  your  judgment, 
if  he  does  not  come  uj)  to  your  stantliird  of  order  and 
cleanliness.  Perhaps,  were  you  similarly  oppressed  in 
mind  and   body,  you  would  be  no  better. 

And  they  that  ar(^  poor  sluMiJd  be  less  bitter  in  their 
opinion,  less  severe  in  tlnir  critiriMn  of  the  licji  ;  thev 
need   not  pride  themselves    upon    not    sinning''    :i<    the 


t^ 


84  SABBATH  HOURS. 

wealthy  sin ;  they  simply  lack  the  opportunities  and  the 
temptations  of  wealtl^^T"      /Y^'-'v.   j/\-,i      (_  (     • 

"Ah,  if  I  had  the  money,  I  should  do  all  manner  of 
good  Avith  it !  But,  unfortunately,  those  that  have 
money  have  no  hearts,  and  those  that  have  hearts  have 
no  money !",  We  may  hear  this  every  day  from  the 
needy ;  and  on  the  strength  of  it,  they  consider  them- 
selves superior^ecause  they  imagine  that  they  ivoulcl  do 
so  much  more  good,  if  they  hut  had  the  means.  "  Ifs  " 
and  "buts"  are  no  pi'oofs  of  goodness  of  heart,  so  long 
as  the  confirmation  of  deeds  is  lacking.  TOnly  he  who, 
like  Abraham,  has  resisted  the  temptations,  both  of 
wealth  and  of  poverty,  is  entitled  to  judge  of  the  rich  and 
of  the  poor.  <  )nly  he  who  has  been  tried  and  purified  in 
"""^^oth  furnaces  of  fortune,  is  capable  of  unbiased  judg- 
■ —  raent.  »  Are  we  not  told  that  Abraham  interceded  for 
even  such  sinners  as  those  in  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  ? 

■ Abraham   had   not   yet   acquired    wealth,    when   he 

adopted  his  orphan  nephew.^  Poverty  is  no  bar  to  a 
kindly,  humane  heart,  nor  does  it  absolve  from  the  duties 
imposed  by  humanity.  /Sl^raham  became  great  and 
wealthy,  but  lie  never  required  any  subordination  on  the 
part  of  his  adopted  son  ;  he  ever  treated  liim  as  his  equr^ 
AVhen  it  became  necessary  for  tli©»*-to  .separate,  he  gave 
his  nephew  the  choice  of  going  or  remaining.  "And 
he  went  on  his  journey. y  The  wealthy  Abraham  was 
not  too  proud  to  associate  with  his  old  friends  and  ac- 
quaintances. ,  AVitli  liiin,. change  of  fortune  did  not 
imply  change  of  frieiuls  and  associates. 

A  man  in  perfect  health  is  able  to  endure  a  change 

of  climate  that  would   prostrate  a  weaker  person.     In 
the  same  way,  a  truly  good   and  pious  man  remains 


VICISSITUDES   OF   FORTUNE.  85 

morally  sound  through  every  change  of  fortuue,,whether 
he  rise  from  poverty  to  wealth,, or  sink  from  wealth 
to  poverty.  /  He  goes  "  uuto  the  place  of  the  altar  which 
he  had  made  there  at  the  first,'i  and  calls  there  on*  the 
name  of  the  Lord.  <  Like  Abraham,  he  remains  true  to 
his  altar,  to  his  friends  and  to  his  God. 


LFr  oS. 


I 


FEAR  KOT  THAT  YOU  MAY  SUFFER  BY 
DOING  GOOD. 


Gen.  XV. 


"After  these  things  the  word  of  the  Lord  came  unto  Abram  in  a  vision, 
saying,  Fear  not,  Abram :  I  am  thy  shield,  thy  reward  shall  be 
exceedingly  great." 

"After  these  things  "—after  what  "  things  ?"  After 
Abraham's  victory  over  Kedorla'omer  and  his  allies? 
"  Fear  not !"  hardly  seems  to  us  au  appro])riate  greet- 
ing to  a  returning  conqueror.  The  ouly  other  "  things" 
mentioned  before  are  the  meeting  with  Malkizedek,  to 
whom  Abraham  gave  tithe,  and  with  the  King  of 
Sodom,  to  whom  he  gave  the  booty  which  he  had  taken 
in  the  war.  But  in  neither  of  these  occurrences  was 
there  any  cause  for  fear.  Surely,  gifts  do  not  make 
enemies.  Nevertheless,  there  was  much  reason  for 
anxiety  on  Abraham's  part.  In  giving  to  others  of 
one's  own  possessions,  in  making  sacrifices  for  the  bene- 
fit of  others,  a  man  frequently  grows  anxious  about 
himself;  he  is  affrighted  by  his  own  better  self  and  its 
generous  impulses.  The  soft  heart  grows  timid  in  the 
presence  of  cold  reason,  which  says  to  it :  "  How  foolish 
thou  art !  Giving  is  all  very  well,  and  self-sacrifice  is, 
indeed,  noble,  but  if  thou  art  so  lavish,  what  will 
become  of  thee  thyself?  If  thou  art  so  conscientious  in 
thy  business  relations  and  so  generous  in  disposing  of 
thy  wealth,  thou  wilt  suffer,  and  others  thrive  at  thy 

86 


FEAR  NOT  THAT  VOU  MAY  SUFFER  BY  DOING  GOOD.     87 

expense.  Think  of  thy  wife  and  child.  Thou  o'.vest 
everything  to  them.  Thou  needest  not  provide  for  any 
one  else.  Let  others  look  to  the  ^velfare  of  strangers." 
Oh,  how  the  very  powers  of  the  body,  our  hands  and 
feet,  hesitate  and  resist,  when  we  bid  them  execute  the 
noble  impulses  of  the  heart!  Such  was  not  the  case 
with  Aljraham.  He  gave  aAvay  willingly  and  freely  the 
entire  booty  of  the  expedition,  and  even  paid  tithe  in 
addition  to  the  rest.  He  w^as  not  afraid  of  a  generous 
action. 

Again,  fear  and  trembling  may  follow  close  upon  the 
doing  of  a  generous  action.  A  man  may  think,  "  It 
may  be  that  I  was  too  good,  too  considerate."  He 
recalls  to  mind  instances,  in  which  others,  with  less 
conscience  and  less  delicacy  of  feeling,  amassed  great 
fortunes,  and  now  occupy  high  places  in  society,  while, 
when  the  same  op])ortunitics  ofiered  themselves  to  him, 
he  Avent  away  empty-handed,  obeying  the  dictates  of  a 
warm  heart  and  a  tender  conscience.  He  remembers 
that  he  made  numl)erless  sacrifices,  and  gave  untiringly, 
while  others  looked  out  only  for  their  own  welfare,  and 
thus  acquired  ever-increasing  wealth.  In  such  reflec- 
tion.s,  fear  comes  over  him,  fear  for  his  own  welfare: 
"How  can  I  continue  to  exist  side  by  side  with  these 
shrewder  and  more  calculating  nitii,  who  can  ac(juire 
riches  so  much  more  ea.sily  than  I,  aii<l  who  liml  it  so 
much  harder  to  share  them  with  others?"  To  tlieni, 
our  text  says,  "  Fear  not  I  In  spite  of  all  that  thou  hast 
done,  in  sj/ite  of  all  the  saciifices  that  thou  hast  made, 
fear  not  for  thy  future.  Thou  wilt  not  grow  poor 
because  of  thy  generosity,  nor  sutler  for  the  advantage 
(jf  otliers.     '  Thy  reward   shall   be  exceedingly  great.' 


88  SABBATH  HOURS. 

The  benefit  derived  from  such  deeds  is  greater  than 
their  price." 

Is  not  a  woman  better  off  for  being  the  wife  of  a  con- 
scientious and  noble-minded  man  ?  Or  are  those  children 
not  fortunate  whose  father  is  strictly  honorable,  though 
not  so  richly  endowed  with  Avorldly  goods  as  other  men? 
Is  it  not  better  for  both  childi*eu  and  father,  if,  when 
the  hour  of  parting  comes,  the  former  can  inherit  the 
blessed  memory  of  such  a  father,  rather  than  fall  heir 
to  the  accumulated  treasures  of  a  restless  and  hard- 
hearted seeker  after  gold  ? 

To  this  Abraham  responded :  " '  Lord  God,  what  v/ilt 
thou  give  me,  seeing  I  go  childless,  and  the  steward  of 
my  house '  will  be  my  heir?"  Thereupon,  he  was  given 
the  faithful  promise  of  a  direct  posterity,  and  assured 
that  after  a  long  series  of  years,  his  descendants,  grown 
to  be  a  great  nation,  would  occupy  the  land  in  which 
he  now  wandered  as  a  stranger.  The  prophecy  closes 
with  the  promise :  "  But  thou  shalt  come  to  thy  father 
in  peace ;  thou  shalt  be  buried  in  a  good  old  age." 

But  were  his  ancestors  not  buried  in  Ur  of  the  Chaldees? 
Did  not  his  father  Terah  lie  in  Haran,  while  he  found  a 
grave  in  the  Cave  of  Machpelah,  far  away  in  the  land 
of  Canaan  ?  The  prophecy,  however,  was  meant  as  an 
assurance  to  his  immortal  soul  that  it  would  rejoin  the 
souls  of  those  that  had  gone  before  in  peace.  This  is 
one  phase  of  immortality,  as  we  picture  it  to  ourselves: 
the  union  of  tlie  soul  with  the  souls  of  those  once  our 
beloved  companions  on  earth.  This  idea  is,  however, 
not  the  whole  of  our  belief  in  immortality.  According 
to  the  doctrine  of  immortality,  the  soul  of  Abraham,  as 
well  as  the  souls  of  all  other  men  that  have  passed  away. 


FEAR  NOT  THAT  YOU  MAY  SUFFER  BY  DOING  GOOD.  89 

live  on  in  full  consciousness  of  the  doins:s  of  their  chil- 
dren  and  their  latest  descendants.  What  bliss  it  must 
bring  to  the  soul  of  him  that  has  passed  from  this  earth 
to  see  itself  perpetuated  in  descendants  in  a  manner 
pleasing  to  the  soul  of  all  souls!  And  what  suficring 
must  be  the  portion  of  the  soul  of  the  worthless  man, 
upon  recognizing  the  sad  truth  that  it  has  left  no  good 
behind  it,  that  the  evil  wrought  by  it  in  the  Avorld  con- 
tinues its  influence  far  into  the  future !  Fancy  can 
paint  no  more  beautiful  heaven  for  the  good,  and  no 
more  terrible  hell  for  the  wicked  than  this  picture  of  the 
soul  gazing  from  its  eternal  home  upon  the  good  or  evil 
wrought  by  it  in  this  world,  as  it  continues  to  influence 
the  lives  of  men  for  centuries. 

"  Fear  not,  Abram,  thy  reward  shall  be  exceedingly 
great." 

"  Thy  reward  shall  be  great."  It  shall  continue  long 
after  the  grave  has  closed  over  thee.  It  shall,  first,  be 
the  portion  of  the  son  promised  to  thee,  that  he  may 
prove  worthy  of  being  thy  child,  and  then  it  shall  pass 
on  to  thy  descendants.  They  shall  form  a  great  nation, 
and  s[)irit  of  thy  spirit,  shall  give  to  the  world  thy  con- 
ception of  God  and  thy  teacliiug  about  God  to  be  a 
blessing  unto  it  forever.  If  it  be  granted  to  Abraham's 
soul  to  look  down  upon  the  subluiuiry  world  from  the 
celestial  iieights,  then  must  he  say  to  himself,  "Truly, 
my  reward  is  great." 

Abraham  was  gatliered  to  his  fathers  in  peace.  Not 
everj'one  returns  tlui.s  to  his  fatliers.  Many  who  are 
reckoned  among  the  fortunate  ones  of  the  earth,  and 
are  envied  because  of  tlie  happiness  tliat  is  su[)j)osed  to 
be  theirs,  pa-ss  away  from  this  life  at  variance  with  God, 


90  SABBATH   HOURS. 

with  the  workl  and  with  themselves.  It  woukl  be  well 
for  us,  could  we  always  keep  vividly  before  our  minds 
this  thought :  The  day  will  come,  when  thou  wilt  be 
gathered  to  thy  fathers;  therefore,  so  live  that  thou 
mayest  rejoin  thy  fathers  in  peace,  t.  e.,  with  a  clear  con- 
science. In  the  seventy  years  that  we  have  lived 
beyond  our  immediate  ancestors,  the  world,  and  we,  as 
l^art  of  it,  ought  to  have  gained  somewhat  in  culture 
and  knowledge ;  or,  at  least,  we  should  not  have  retro- 
graded ;  our  lives  ought  not  to  seem  barren  and  empty 
in  comparison  with  theirs. 

How  beautiful  the  phrase,  to  be  gathered  to  one's 
fathers  in  peace !  With  peace  in  one's  own  bosom, 
without  the  painful  reproach  of  a  mistaken  life,  with- 
out inward  struggles  in  regard  to  one's  faith,  unshaken 
in  one's  belief  in  a  Providence  ruling  over  life  and 
death  !  How  beautiful  to  leave  this  earth  at  peace  with 
one's  household,  with  the  sweet  consciousness,  "  I  am 
leaving  my  house  not  divided  against  itself,  not  in  open 
strife,  and  not  in  sullen  resentment.  It  is  not  probable 
that  over  my  grave  the  beautiful  bond  of  family  life 
will  be  torn  asunder,  that  hate  W'ill  destroy  the  edifice 
erected  by  ray  loving  care." 

"  His  sons  Isaac  and  Ishmael  buried  him."  Isaac  and 
Ishmael,  different  as  they  were,  in  disposition  and  in 
their  relations  to  their  home,  nevertheless,  stood  side  by 
side  at  the  grave  of  the  good  father,  in  fraternal  har- 
mony, moved  by  a  common  grief.  Abraham,  upon  his 
demise,  left  his  house  in  peace. 

Next  to  the  idea  of  the  unity  of  God,  we  hold  the 
belief  in  the  immortality  of  the  soul  as  the  most  blessed 
doctrine.     The   more  active  our  consciousness  of  this 


FEAK  NOT  THAT  YOU  MAY  SUFFER  BY  DOING  GOOD.      91 

immortality,  the  more  joyfully  and  willingly  shall  we  do 
good,  and  the  less  shall  we  fear  to  be  at  a  disadvantage 
compared  with  other  more  worldly-minded  persons,  who 
scrape  together  untold  wealth,  and  keep  it  fast  in  their 
clutches.  Our  weakness  and  hesitation  in  doiua:  what 
we  know  to  be  good  and  proper  may  be  traced  to  the 
fact  that  we  have  not  true  faith  iuthis  doctrine  of 
immortality,  or  else  that  we  do  not  keep  it  vividly 
enough  before  our  minds.  Our  faith  is  not  so  strong  as 
Abraham's,  the  doctrine  is  not  ever-present  to  us  as  it 
was  to  him.  God  said  to  him,  "Fear  not,  thy  reward 
shall  be  exceedingly  great."  And  what  was  to  be  his 
reward  ?  The  Lord  gave  keenness  to  his  sight,  so  that  he 
might  see  that,  when  the  grass  had  grown  afresh  on  his 
grave  four  hundred  times,  his  posterity,  a  great  people, 
would  take  possession  of  the  beautiful  land,  and  as  the 
bearer  of  a  divine  message,  would  become  a  blessing  to 
all  the  nations  of  the  earth. 

Of  what  value  would  bo  a  reward  promised  for  so 
distant  a  future  to  him  that  lies  mouldering  in  the  grave, 
were  it  not  for  the  belief  in  immortality?  If  eternal 
<larknes.s  is  to  follow,  when  the  light  of  this  life  is  extin- 
guished, what  interest  can  the  living  take  in  the  weal 
and  woe  of  generations  that  will  nut  exist  until  liiiii- 
drcd.s  and  thousands  of  years  havc^  passed  away  '!  .Vltia- 
ham  rejoiced  in  the  promised  blessing,  and  saw  in  it 
his  greatest  reward.  It  wa.s  his  belief  that  he  would  not 
pa.'<s  into  eternal  darkness  from  the  scene  of  his  earthly 
life  ;  it  was  his  hope  that  the  dark  hour  nl'  parting  |)a.st, 
the  true  light  would  ri.se  for  him,  ami  tliiit  he  would 
then  behold  clearly  all  that  had  been  veiled  I'loni  liim 
while  on  earth. 


92  SABBATH    HOURS. 

Let  us  not  hesitate  to  make  sacrifices  which  a  pious 
aud  uoble  life  demand  of  the  Israelite,  nor  fear  that  we 
ourselves  may  sufler  while  doing  good  to  others.  Let  it 
be  our  highest  aim  to  return  in  peace  to  our  fathers,  so 
that  our  existence  may  continue  to  be  a  blessed  influ- 
ence unto  the  latest  generations,  and  that  our  souls, 
from  their  eternal  homo,  may  behold  their  reward  in 
the  happiness  of  children  and  children's  children. 


CHILDREN  OF  THE  HOUSE  AND  CHILDREN 
OF  THE  SPIRIT. 

Gen.  XV :  1-6. 

In  the  narrative  preceding  our  text,  we  find  the  divine 
promise  of  a  numerous  progeny  to  Abraham,  which  the 
hitter  listens  to  in  silence.  In  Chap.  XIII  :  16,  it  says : 
"And  I  will  make  thy  seed  as  the  dust  of  the  earth :  so 
that  if  a  man  can  number  the  dust  of  the  earth,  then 
shall  tliy  seed  also  be  numbered." 

DesjHte  this  ])rophecy,  Abraham,  in  our  text,  complains 
of  his  sad  fate,  that  he  will  die  childless.  But  after 
a  repetition  of  the  divine  promise,  Abraham  "  believed 
in  the  Lord  ;  and  the  Lord  accounted  it  to  him  for 
righteousness."  \\'liy  was  the  promise  repeated?  In 
what  resj)ect  do  (he  two  promises  didiT,  causing  the 
first  to  be  accepted  .so  coolly  and  indiU'erently,  and  the 
.second  to  be  annonnced  and  received  with  gravity  and 
seriousness?  l'nitlicrm(M-e,  the  text  says,  in  connection 
with  the  second  promise,  that  "Abraham  believed  in  the 
Lord,"  which  would  lead  us  to  conclude  that  lie  IkkI  imt 
believed  the  first  promise.  But  is  it  i)os.sil)le  that  a  man 
of  such  ])iety,  as  was  our  ancestor's,  coulil  have  shown 
incredulity  with  regard  lo  (lod's  word?  Tliere  are 
l)lenty  of  sceptics  about  us,  but  suppose  tln'  most  scep- 
tical of  sceptics  had  been   blessed  with  a  divine  rcvcla- 

03 


SABBATH   HOURS. 

'and  were  convinced  of  its  authenticity,  would  he 
in, /believe  it? 

Let  us  endeavor  to  answer  these  questions,  and  to 
fathom  the  text.  Abraham  laments :  "  Lord  God,  what 
wilt  thou  give  me,  seeing  I  go  childless,  and  the  steward 
of  uiy  house  is  this  Eliezer  of  Damascus?  One  bom 
in  my  house  will  be  mine  heir."  This  plaint  does  not 
refer  to  an  earthly  legacy,  but  to  higher  things. 

In  the  course  of  their  lives,  parents  acquire  a  wealth 
of  experience,  knowledge  and  understanding,  and  would 
fain  bequeath  to  their  children  this  treasure  bought  with 
sorrow  and  suffering.  It  is  their  heart's  desire  that  their 
pain-bought  knowledge  of  right  and  truth,  that  their 
better  selves  may  not  die  with  them.  But  to  how  many 
parents  this  happiness  is  denied !  At  their  death,  the 
children  inherit  their  worldly  goods,  but  the  riches  of 
mind  and  heart  die  with  them,  and  their  children  are 
left  morally  destitute. 

"When  God  said  to  him,  "  Lift  up  now  thy  eyes,  and 
look  from  the  place  where  thou  art,  ....  all  the 
land  which  thou  seest,  to  thee  will  I  give  it,  and  to  thy 
seed  forever,"  Abraham  was  unmoved  ;  to  believe  or  not 
to  believe  was  of  no  consequence  to  him. 

The  promise  that  his  offspring  should  some  day  ]>e  the 
masters  of  this  fertile  land  w'as  no  great  blessing  in  his 
opinion.  For,  is  it  a  blessing  to  parents  to  have  chil- 
dren that  have  nothing  in  common  with  them  in  princi- 
ples, in  faith,  in  feelings  and  in  thoughts?  AVhat  delights 
do  children  confer  that  do  not  sympathize  with  the  joys 
and  sorrows,  the  hopes,  predile(;tions  and  antipathies, 
aTuI  above  all,  with  the  faith  of  their  parents?  That 
hearken  to  other  mentors,  follow  other  examples,  and 


CHILDREN  OF  THE   HOUSE  AND  OF  THE  SPIRIT.      95 

strike  out  into  other  paths?  Of  what  value  would  a 
revelation  be  that  shows  us  a  great-great-grandchild  liv- 
ing in  wealth  and  plenty? 

When,  therefore,  God  repeatedly  spoke  to  Abraham 
of  the  great  reward  in  store  for  him,  the  latter  ex- 
claimed:  "'Lord  God,  what  wilt  thou  give?>ie/'  I  go 
childless,  if  I  must  walk  through  life  alone,  wnthout 
sympathy  for  my  moral  ideals.  What  would  it  avail 
me,  though  my  children  be  numerous  as  the  dust  of  the 
earth,  if  they  be  not  the  children  of  my  heart  and 
mmd  .' 

In  the  text,  Eliezer  is  referred  to  as  the  child  of  the 
house.  Perhaps  Ishmael  and  Keturah's  children  were 
already  born  at  the  time,  and  if  so,  they  were  the  heirs. 
But  even  if  they  were  born  later,  they  were  the  children 
of  the  house  merely,  and  they  were  accorded  but  an 
earthly  heritage. 

Then  God  said  unto  Abraham :  "  This  shall  not  be 
thine  heir;  but  he  that  shall  come  forth  out  of  thine 
own  bowels  shall  be  thine  heir" — he  that  comes  forth  out 
of  thy  own  true  self,  the  son  of  tliy  mind  and  thy  heart. 
He  will  inherit  ilicc,  thine  own  better  self  will  he  trans- 
mit unto  thy  descendants.  And  ( Jod  said,  "Look  now 
towanl  th(!  heaven,  and  tell  the  stars,  if  thou  be  able  to 
number  them,     ....     so  shall  thy  seed  be." 

The  simile  of  the  stars  is  not  chosen  in  older  (o  illus- 
trate the  blessing  of"  :in  iiiii\imerable  progeny;  for  th(^ 
stars  visible  to  the  nake<l  eye  can  readily  be  eountcfl,  an«l 
there  are  not  nearly  so  many  as  is  generally  sui)posed. 
Plato  coinited  them,  and,  to  our  disappointmeMt,  could 
count  oidy  one  thousand  and  twenty-two;  and  even  at 
the  present  time,  with  the  aid  of  modern  astronomical 


96  SABBATH   UOUES. 

appliances,  the  number  obtained,  by  simultaneous  count- 
ing in  the  best  observatories,  with  the  finest  telescopes, 
does  not  exceed  six  hundred  thousand.  The  illustra- 
tion of  the  stars  is  chosen,  we  should  say,  in  order  to 
indicate  the  quality  of  Abraham's  progeny.  Nations 
and  religious  brotherhoods,  numerous  as  "the  dust  of 
the  earth,"  do  not  confer  blessings  in  proportion  to 
their  numbers.  Nor  are  children  a  blessing,  if  their 
ambition  grovels  in  the  dust ;  if  their  thoughts  are  of 
the  earth,  earthy  ;  if  their  highest  delights  are  sought 
in  the  mire.  But  children  whose  virtues  shine  like  the 
stars  in  heaven,  a  people  whose  lives  and  teachings  are 
guiding  stars  to  the  world  and  a  light  to  the  nations — 
happy  the  fathers  and  mothers  who  may  call  themselves 
the  parents  of  such  offspring. 

"So  shall  thy  seed  be,"  even  as  the  bright  stars  above, 
counted  or  uncounted.  "And  he  believed  in  the  Lord." 
This  promise  touched  and  satisfied  him.  "And  he  ac- 
counted it  to  him  for  righteousness."  The  attitude  of 
mind,  which  assigns  to  strong  and  ofttimes  blind  parental 
love  a  subordinate  place ;  which  crushes  selfishness,  so 
that  man  no  longer  delights  in  his  own  good  fortune, 
except  inasmuch  as  it  produces  happiness  for  his  fellow- 
men  and  for  future  generations;  which  forces  from  man's 
bosom  the  plaint  of  Abraham,  "What  care  I  what 
God's  gifts  be,  if  I  am  to  be  to  the  world  as  a  barren 
tree;  if  my  spiritual  conquests  are  to  be  buried  with  my 
body?" — this  attitude  of  mind,  God  will  account  to  thee, 
oh  man,  for  righteousness  ! 

"  Oh,  Lord  God,  what  wilt  thou  give  unto  me,  seeing 
I  go  childless?" 

Heavenly  Father,  of  what  value  are  thy  gifts  and  thy 


CHILDREN  OF  THE  HOUSE  AND  OF  THE  SPIRIT.      07 

blessings,  if  we  waste  our  lives,  and  abuse  thy  gifts, 
without  making  them  productive  of  good  to  our  fellow- 
creatures  and  to  posterity?  If  our  lives  here  below 
leave  no  trace,  and  are  but  as  dust?  Of  what  value  are 
children,  if  they  are  but  as  dust  of  the  earth,  with 
nothing  holy,  ideal  or  sacred  at  work  within  them  for 
posterity?  What  is  the  good  of  saving  dollar  upon 
dollar,  hoarding  an  earthly  treasure  for  our  children  ? 
What  is  the  good  of  watching  and  working  and  starv- 
ing and  worrying,  in  order  that  our  children  may  find  a 
rich  heritage,  while  to  us,  in  reality,  is  given  no  seed, 
since  our  better  selves  are  not  inherited  by  our  children, 
and  do  not  live  on  in  them  ?  "  One  born  in  my  house  is 
mine  heir" — what  avails  all  earthly  pleasure,  if  thy 
heir  be  but  a  son  of  thy  house,  and  not  of  thy  mind, 
of  thy  heart,  of  tliy  true  self! 

In  the  six  sons  of  Kcturah  and  in  Ishnuiel,  .Vbraham 
recognized  the  offspring  of  his  house,  but  not  of  his 
mind  or  his  faith  ;  among  eight  children  there  wa.s  but 
one  that  gave  Iiim  the  ])leiisure  of  minoring  his  own 
miml.  We  have  no  reason,  then,  to  feel  secure  in  our 
children,  and  to  expect  that  th(!y  will  elevate  them- 
selves from  the  dust  of  earth  to  the  stars  of  heaven. 
Even  with  tlie  very  greatest  can^  ])arents  may  succeed 
in  bringing  uj)  their  sons  and  •laughtei's  but  as  children 
of  the  house;  there  arc  innumerable  influences  at  work 
in  the  education  of  a  diilil,  besides  th<>  good  iiilciilioiis 
of  the  {larcnts.  If,  however,  yon  would  hope  for  a  'liiM 
of  your  mind,  its  cdufatiftn  and  training  imist  not  be  a 
secondary  matter,  attended  to  at  odd  inomcnts,  in  the 
intervals  of  pleasure  and  business  ;  it  must  lie  yonr 
chief  care  and  first  care  every  day.     Then  your  ciiild 

8 


98  SABBATH   HOURS. 

Avill  some  clay  inherit  more  than  yonr  money;  it  will 
inherit  yon,  and  all  that  is  good  in  you.  And  have  a 
care,  too,  that  your  child,  if  it  do  inherit  you,  inherit 
what  is  i^ood. 


RELIGION  AND  ETHICS. 

Gen.  XVIII. 

The  first  division  of  our  reading  from  the  Torah 
to-day  deals  with  two  separate  incidents  in  the  life 
of  Al)rahain  ;  hut,  in  the  narrative,  they  are  so  inter- 
woven, that  they  seem  like  parts  of  one  event.  The 
one  is  the  continuation  of  the  revelation  of  God,  hegun 
in  the  foregoing  chapter,  concerning  the  future  birth 
of  Isaac.  The  second  event  is  Abraham's  manifesta- 
tion of  hosj)itality  towards  the  three  strangers.  With 
this  concej)tioii  of  it,  the  story  reads  about  as  follows: 
As  observed  before,  God  aj)])eared  to  Abraham.  Mcan- 
wliile  he  saw  three  strangers  approaching  his  tent 
in  the  heat  of  the  day.  Thereupon,  he  turned  to  God, 
and  said,  "My  Lord,  pjiss  not  away,  I  pray  thee,  from 
thy  servant!"  meaning,  "while  I  show  hospitality  to 
these  strangers."  After  Abraham  had  fully  discharged 
the  duty  of  hos])itality,  he  receive(l  the  divine  revela- 
tion: "  r  will  certairdy  return  unto  thee;  at  this  time  next 
year;  and  lo,  Sarah  thy  wife  shall  haveason."  I'^inally, 
wo  read  in  verse  twenty-two,  "And  the  men  turned 
their  faces  from  there,  and  went  towards  Sodom;  luil 
;\1  trail  am  stood  yet  before  !!:<•  l-onl."  (It  is  said  that 
this  verse  read  originally,  "  ( Jod  sto(»d  yet  before  Abra- 
ham.") The  ad'air  with  the  travellers  was  (•onelude<l, 
and  the  revelation  continued. 

99 


100  SABBATH  HOURS. 

Thus  is  explained  the  use  of  the  singular  in  the  pas- 
sage cited,  and  thus  we  eliminate  the  displeasing  element 
in  the  narrative — the  apparent  use  of  the  name  of  God 
in  addressing  creatures  that  eat  and  drink,  and  appear 
in  bodily  form. 

For  what  purpose,  however,  are  the  two  incidents, 
divine  revelation  and  the  exercise  of  hospitality,  so 
intimately  connected  in  this  narrative  ?  If  the  appear- 
ance and  entertainment  of  the  three  men  is  utterly 
irrelevant  to  the  revelation  to  Abraham,  why  is  reference 
made  to  it  in  the  Holy  Scriptures,  and  for  what  reason 
should  it  have  been  thought  worthy  of  preservation  for 
future  generations?  Let  us  direct  our  attention  this 
morning  to  this  point. 

Among  us  who  have  fallen  somewhat  behind  this 
rapidly  progressing  century,  the  word  ethics  is  but  seldom 
used,  but,  under  the  term  morality,  Israel  has  always 
highly  honored  what  the  word  stands  for.  Ethics  is  the 
high  sounding  word  for  that  which  many  a  one  entirely 
estranged  from  religion  would  gladly  see  in  its  place. 
Religion  is,  however,  the  unpretentious  root  of  the  tree 
on  which  ethics  may  be  said  to  hang,  one  of  the  many 
fruits  borne  by  it.  The  root  of  the  tree  draws  nourish- 
ment from  the  dark  earth  for  the  strength  of  the  trunk 
and  the  juice  of  the  fruit.  It  holds  the  tree  firmly,  so 
that  it  may  remain  fixed,  in  one  spot,  for  years  and 
years,  and  proudly  rearing  its  branches  high  in  the  air, 
may  not  fall  to  the  earth  with  all  its  glory.  The  root 
remains  modestly  hidden  in  the  ground,  while  all  praise 
is  rendered  to  the  tree  for  its  shade,  its  wood,  its  fruits 
and  its  beauty. 

Religion    is  the   root,  ethics   the   fruit.     He  whose 


RELIGION   AND   ETHICS.  101 

standard  is  an  ethical  one,  enjoys  only  the  fruit ;  he 
that  lives  in  an  atmosphere  of  religion,  owns  tree  and 
fruit  alike,  religion  and  ethics.  "  Walk  before  me,  and 
be  thou  perfect,"  Deity  says  to  Abraham.  If  a  man 
does  not  foster  religious  feeling  in  himself,  but  be- 
comes estranged  from  religion,  he  falls  short  of  being 
a  perfect  man,  for  religious  feeling  forms  an  essential 
part  of  man's  nature.  So,  too,  he  that  believes — and 
lives  according  to  his  belief — that  i)iety,  pleasing  in 
the  sight  of  God,  may  exist  apart  from  ethics,  he,  too, 
lacks  much  of  being  a  "  perfect "  man.  Only  he  that  is 
both  pious  and  good  is  "  perfect."  The  two  incidents  in 
the  life  of  Abraham,  as  they  are  interwoven  in  this  tale, 
illustrate  the  point  under  discussion.  We  are  told  of  a 
divine  revelation,  and  its  narration  is  interrupted  by 
an  account  of  Abraham's  hospitality.  Taken  together, 
the  two  incidents  show  Abraham  in  the  light  of  a  "per- 
fect" man. 

The  narrative  begins  thus,  "  God  appeared  to  Abra- 
ham." How  did  Deity  reveal  himself  to  a  hunuui 
being?  Surely,  not  in  a  physical  form,  perceptible 
to  the  senses.  A  divine  revelation  can  be  only  an 
inward  revelation.  The  soul  isillled  with  the  conscious- 
ness tiiat  the  Lord  is  near,  and  perceives  his  holy  will  in 
a  manner  iiieomjuclK  iisible  to  us.  At  such  times,  the 
soul  is  surely  in  an  elevated  and  deeply  religious  mood. 
Al)raham  was  in  so  elevated  a  mood,  his  soul  was  com- 
inuning  with  its  Maker,  when  he  observed  the  three 
travellers  in  his  vieinity.  In  their  persons,  ethics  made 
its  demand  upon  him,  in  the  midst  of  his  devotion, 
while  his  heart  was  uplifted  by  the  presence  of  God. 
J'^thics    represented    to    him,   "  Here,    Abraham,    are 


102  SABBATH   HOURS. 

human  beings  to  whom  you  must  offer  help.  Be 
friendly  to  them  ;  welcome  and  refresh  the  weary  trav- 
ellers." As  at  the  beginning  of  the  chapter,  we  have, 
introductory  to  this  passage,  the  word  X"i'i.  This 
time,  however,  its  meaning  is  not  seeing  in  any  form. 
As  frequently,  it  signifies,  "  he  deliberated."  He  delib- 
erated :  "Shall  I  turn  from  God?  Let  my  God  wait 
so  that  I  may  greet  these  strangers,  and  offer  them  my 
services?"  He  interrupted  his  devotion,  and  hastened 
to  fulfil  his  earthly  duty,  the  duty  of  hospitality,  the 
ethical  obligation  of  humanity.  Prayer,  devotion,  the 
commandments  and  the  restrictions  imposed  by  the 
ceremonial  law  ;  in  short,  everything  in  the  field  of 
religion  that  pertains  to  worship  of  God,  that  helps  to 
keep  the  idea  of  God  alive  in  us,  is  of  great  value,  and 
is  necessary  to  a  "  perfect  "  man.  As  soon,  however,  as 
man  is  needed  for  earthly  duties,  and  ethics  puts  forth  its 
claim  to  his  powers,  God  forgives  his  turning  away,  nay, 
he  even  commands  him  not  to  allow  his  duty  to  nuui  to 
be  interfered  with  by  service  to  God.  God  and  his  ser- 
vice can  wait  until  man's  wants  are  attended  to,  for 
man,  when  in  distress,  craves  immediate  help.  There 
can  be  no  more  sacred,  no  more  divine  moment  in  the 
life  of  a  human  being,  than  was  that  in  Abraham's  life, 
described  to  us  in  the  Holy  Scriptures,  in  which  his  soul 
soared  to  the  heights  of  revelation.  Nevertheless,  he 
ha.stened  from  the  presence  of  God,  and  turned  to  human 
beings  in  need  of  help. 

But  you  may  tell  me  that  this  is  the  very  demand 
made  of  man  by  the  worshippers  of  ethics,  of  nothing 
but  ethics :  "  Forsake  entirely  the  barren  worship  of 
God  !  Turn  away  from  the  dream  of  divine  revelation, 
and  devote  all  your  powers  to    the   active  virtues  of 


RELIGION    AND    ETHICS.  103 

ethics.     Declare  your  ab.^olute  allegiauce  to  a  religion 
of  humanity  I" 

For  such  also  our  text  has  an  inipressiv;e  lesson,  a  les- 
son which  we  cannot  take  to  heart  earnestly  enough,  nor 
impress  sufficiently  on  our  memories.  " My  Lord,  if  now 
I  have  found  favor  in  thy  eyes,  pass  not  away,  I  jn-ay 
thee,  from  thy  servant !"  "With  these  words,  Abraham 
turned  to  God  after  having  extended  his  gracious  invita- 
tion to  the  strangers.  "  Let  me  not  forget  thy  service, 
( )  Lord,  while  serving  these  men !"  We  daily  meet 
with  pei*sons  holding  the  firm  belief  that  religion  is  con- 
fined entirely  to  acts  of  benevolence,  to  humanity  of 
thought  and  deed.  "  I  lead  a  moral  life  ;  my  hand  is 
ever  open  to  give  and  to  render  assistance.  What  more 
can  be  expected  of  me?"  "My  Lord,  if  now  I  have 
found  favor  in  thy  eyes,  pass  not  away,  I  pray  thee, 
from  thy  servant!"  Oh  God,  forsake  me  not  in  my  arro- 
gance, in  my  over-estimation  of  the  little  good  that  I  do 
uj)on  earth,  tliat  T  may  not  lose  sight  of  thy  power;  that 
I  may  not  forget  thee,  fmiii  wliose  hand  I  have  received 
everything,  the  little  that  1  give  away,  as  well  as  the 
good Iv  store  that  I  keej)  for  n)y  own  use!  And  if  I 
should  gain  in  piety  of  thought  and  goodness  of  heart, 
let  me  not  therefore  gnjw  neglectful  of  thy  praise,  let 
my  faith  in  thee,  Heavenly  Father,  not  lose  in  leivor! 

The  poor  man  that  (imls  liim-eir  dn  the  road  t<i  pros- 
peritv;  the  pmsperour^  man,  on  the  mad  to  great  o]iu- 
lence,  should  call  aloud  witli  Abraham,  "  My  God,  ilo 
not  forsake  tliy  servant  in  tlie  days  of  prosperity,  in 
sorrow  and  distress,  I  sought  tliec.  I  knew  then  that 
there  was  a  ( iod,  whom  it  was  the  duty  of  a  'perfect' 
man  to  serve  ;  let  me  not  forget  thee  now  tiuit  no  trouble 
clouds  the  heaven  of  mv  life." 


104  SABBATH  HOURS. 

"  My  God,  pass  not  away  from  thy  servant !"  should 
also  be  the  prayer  of  the  man  of  science,  the  man  of 
deep  culture.^  Many  a  philanthropist  forgets  his  God, 
believing  that  he  is  a  "  perfect "  man  by  virtue  of  his 
benevolence  alone,  that  thereby  he  has  attained  the  very 
summit  of  life.  Many  a  man,  rich  in  wealth  and  wordly 
goods,  passes  heedlessly  by  his  God  in  his  care-free  exist- 
ence. Even  more  common  is  this  neglect  in  men  rich 
in  learning.  They  become  puffed  up  with  knowledge ; 
their  pride  forbids  them  to  hold  a  belief  in  God  in  com- 
mon with  common  men.  But  too  frequently  is  this  the 
case  in  our  day.  With  many  of  our  faith,  the  first  fruit 
of  learning  isforgetfulness  of  God :  "  To  worship  God  and 
still  possess  culture !  The  combination  is  impossible !" 
Ob,  my  God,  pass  not  by  thy  servant!  Let  me  not  for- 
get thee,  while  seeking  knowledge !  Let  my  heart  not 
lose  the  bliss  of  faith,  while  I  am  gaining  in  wisdom ; 
let  me  be  a  man,  a  "  perfect "  rnaii  in  knowledge,  and 
let  me  at  the  same  time  remain  childlike  in  my  belief 
in  a  Father  of  all  creatures ! 

"Oh  God,  pass  not  by  thy  servant!"  may  we  well 
exclaim  when  we  consider  the  condition  of  religious 
worship  in  our  time  and  country.  Order  and  decorum, 
the  gratification  of  an  aesthetic  sense  are  all  admirably 
provided  for  in  our  houses  of  worship,  and  for  this  pro- 
gress we  ought  to  be  truly  thankful.  But  all  that  has 
been  done  is  not  sufficient  to  bring  forth  devotion,  and 
elevation  of  the  soul  to  God,  to  make  attendance  at  public 
worship  a  holy  joy,  ennobling  and  strengthening  the  soul. 
Devotion  is  the  kernel,  all  the  rest  is  merely  the  shell. 
"  Oh  God,  pass  not  by  thy  servants,"  who  assemble  in 
thy  name ! 


A  REVELATION  AT  THE  THRESHOLD. 

"And  the  Lord  appeared  unto  Abraham  in  the  grove  of  Mamre  ;  while 
he  sat  at  the  door  of  his  tent  in  the  heat  of  the  day."— Ckn. 
XVIII :  1. 

This  verse  stands  in  complete  isolation  in  the  cliapter. 
Are  we  to  understand  that  God  manifested  himself  in 
the  three  visitors  of  whom  we  are  told  more  farther  on 
in  the  chapter?  Such  a  construction  has,  indeed,  been 
put  upon  this  verse,  especially  by  Christian  scholars, 
who  have  interpreted  it  as  a  revelation  of  the  Trinity. 
For  this  very  reason,  we  should  feel  ourselves  called 
upon  to  find  a  Ijctter  explanation  of  the  passage. 

Our  weekly  portion  of  the  Torah  shows  us  how  God 
reveals  himself  h)  man*  Many  l)elieve  that  Deity  can 
manifest  himself  oidy  in  thunder^  as  at  Sinai,(,()r  to 
extraordinarily  holy  persons,  like  the  pr(j])Iu'ts,,  or  at 
partieuhirly  favored  places^  as  in  the  Temple;  or  else 
tlicy  hold  that  God  no  longer  speaks  at  all^  Our  text 
can  teach  tlwni  a  different  hfsson^  (Jod  rcveah-d  him- 
self to  Abraham  at  the  door  of  his  tent,  upon  hind 
belonging  to  a  heathen^  There  is  surely  nothing  holy, 
nothing  extraordiiuiry  in  this  situsition  ;  on  the  con- 
trary, it  is  higldy  comuKuiplace  in  its  character*  Abra- 
ham received  the  divine  revelation  whih^  sitting  at  the 
entrance  to  his  tent  and  seeking  relief  from  the  bui'uiug 
heat  (jf  midday. 

105 


10(l  SABBATH    HOURS, 

Abraliam  was  resting  comfortably  at  the  door  of  his 
tent,  wlien,  in  the  distance,  he  saw  three  men  travelling 
towards  ]iim.«  A  shrewd  worldling  in  Abraham's  place, 
supremely  conscious  of  his  own  comfortable  position, 
would  have  allowed  his  idle  glance,  betokening  ease,  to 
rest  upon  them,  and  follow  them  until  they  were  out  of 
sight.  If  they  had  turned  their  steps  toward  his  dwell- 
ing, and  had  asked  for  assistance,  he  would  have  tried 
to  rid  himself  of  them  as  soon  as  possible.*  In  the  lan- 
guage of  our  day,  he  would  have  provided  them  with 
half-fare  tickets  to  the  next  station.^  Not  so  Abraham. 
He  feared  that  the  strangers  might  pass  by  his  abode, 
and  he  hastened  towards  them,  and  invited  them  cor- 
dially to  be  his  guests,  as  if  he  were  asking  a  favor 
instead  of  offering  one./  He  offers  them  only  bread, 
water  and  rest  in  the  shade,  so  that  they  may  surely 
consent  to  halt^i  When  they  have  accepted  his  invita- 
tion, he  prepares  for  them  a  rich  repast,  and  is  as  active, 
as  eager  and  as  happy  in  providing  for  their  entertain- 
ment, as  if  they  were  kings,  who  would  repay  his  kind- 
ness with  gold  and  honors.i 

Tlih  was  the  manifestation  of  Deity.  In  the  pure, 
diildlikc  heart,  in  the  kindly  action  of  Abraham,  God 
revealed  himself. 

If,  seeing  a  fellow-man  trudging  through  the  sand  of 
the  desert,  in  the  burning  midday  sun,  you  do  not  arise 
IVom  your  comfortable  position,  and  are  not  moved  to 
show  active  sympathy,  until  the  sufferer  himself  asks 
for  your  aid  ;  if  you  then  scrutinize  th,e  petitioner  care- 
fully to  decide  whether  he  cannot  drag  himself  along 
for  some  distance,  so  as  to  lie  out  of  your  sight ;  if  you 
inquire  into  the  worth  rather  than  the  ivant  of  your 


A  REVELATION  AT  THE  THRESHOLD.      107 

suffering  felloAV-creature  ;  if  you  refuse  your  aid  or  sym- 
pathy to  a  man,  thinking :  "  He  has  only  himself  to 
blame  for  his  present  misery" — then,^uclee(l,  not  God,  P)^  }' 
but  a  prudent  man  reveals  himself)  The  fear  of  being  h> 
deceived  in  the  object  of  your  T)enevolence,  the  exces-  i  ) 
sive  anxiety  that  a  fellow-creature  be  spoilt  by  gener- 
.  osit}ythe  principle  of  helping  no  one  that  is  not  com- 
pletely lame,  of  leading  none  not  totally  blind,  of  nursing 
none  that  is  not  sick  unto  death  ;  to  sympathize  only 
with  those  completely  overwhelmed  by  misfcjrtune,  to 
mourn  for  the  dead  alone — these  are  not  manifestations 
of  DeitV;)  But  if  you  go  forth  to  meet  strangers,  if, 
seeing  that  they  are  in  distress,  you  do  not  ask  of  them, 
whence  they  come  or  whither  they  go,  nor  inquire  into 
their  belief,  nor  accompany  your  gift  with  bitter  re- 
j)roache3  for  the  misfortune  which  they  should  have 
avoided,  but  feel  only  the  impulse  to  aid  them,  to  re- 
inove  the  thorns  from  the  path  of  your  neighbor,  then 
you  may,  even  to-day,  experience  the  revelation  of  four 
thousand  years  ago  in  the  grove  of  Mam  re. 

Such    actions   can,  indeed,  be   explained    oidy    as  a 
revelation  of  (Jod.     How  could   we  otherwise  reconcile 
delight  in  giving  j)le!L^iirc  to  others  witli  human  nature? 
How   c(juld   man   live,  work   and   sacrifice   of  his  own 
pos.se8sion8  for  th(!  benefit  of  others?     Toil  and   moil  to 
make    the    burdens   of  life   ejusier    for  others  to  bear? 
Common-scnso  apjjroves  of  the  rej»ly  to  David's  petition  Q^  V 
tliat  a  porti<jn  of  the  rich  repast  tliat  Nabal  had  prepared    f  /  /  / 
tor  his  shepherds  be  givm  to   him   and   his  exhausted       ^ '^  ' 
followers  rX  Shall  I  then  take  my  bread,  ami   mv  water  Nj/Ql//^ 
and  my  flesh  that  1  have  killed  for-  my  sheep-shearers,  and 
give  it  unto  men,  whom  I  know  n(»t  wiience  they  are?" 


108  SABBATH   HOURS. 

Of  course,  we  respect  au  honest,  prudent  man.  He 
may  be  faithful  and  just,  upright  and  industrious,  but 
these  qualities  alone  do  not  make  an  Abraham.  Reason 
certainly  does  not  counsel  a  man  bowed  beneath  the 
weight  of  a  hundred  years,  to  hasten  from  his  tent  at 
noon,  on  a  day  of  tropical  heat,  to  watch  for  strangers,  to 
offer  them  the  freedom  of  his  house,  and  to  entertain 
them  to  the  best  of  his  ability.  Reason  could  never 
convince  us  that,  in  certain  cases,  it  becomes  our  duty 
to  work  for  the  good  of  others,  even  at  the  sacrifice  of 
our  own  lives.  Whenever  man  is  active  in  promoting 
the  good  of  his  fellow-man  through  self-denial,  we  may 
say  that  we  have  a  divine  revelation,  that  "the  Lord 
appeared  unto"  us.  Consciously  or  unconsciously  to 
himself,  there  exists  in  his  heart  the  feeling,  "  There  is 
a  God,  and  all  the  universe  is  his  possession.  Every 
created  thing  forms  a  part  of  the  whole.  Whatever  I 
do  for  my  fellow-man,  I  do  for  myself  as  well,  for  my 
fellow-man  and  myself  are  but  a  part  of  the  whole.  And 
even  were  I  to  walk  through  the  valley  of  the  shadow  of 
death,  I  should  not  perish  and  be  lost  in  nothingness, 
for  there  is  a  God,  an  immortality,  an  eternity.  Another 
life  will  be  mine." 

Truly,  a  heartfelt,  noble  act  of  self-denial,  performed 
for  the  welfare  of  others,  is  a  revelation  of  God.  It  is 
not  indispensable  that  sucli  a  manifestation  be  solemn 
and  impressive;  that  a  man  should  await  its  coming  in 
talith  and  tefillui,  with  fasting  and  prayer,  sound  of 
trumpet  and  peal  of  organ.  At  the  entrance  to  one's 
house,  in  apparently  the  most  commonplace  situation  of 
life,  God  may  make  his  presence  manifest.  The  good 
deed  is  accomplished,  the  idea  realized  before  reason  has 


A  REVELATION  AT  THE  THRESHOLD.      109 

had  time  to  apply  its  standard,  and  shape  them  according 
to  its  pattern. 

—  What  a  contrast  do  the  two  pictures  in  our  Parashah* 
present  to  us.  '/On  the  one  side,  Abraham,  joyfully  and 
eagerly  providing  for  the  strangers,  and  serving  them ; 
and  on  the  other,  Sodom — the  whole  town  in  an  uproar, 
a  mob  storming  a  house  with  brutal  energy,  demanding 
the  blood  of  the  strangers.  '  We  must  remember  that 
hatred  of  strangers,  and  unkind  treatment  of  them,  was 
not  peculiar  to  Sodom.  There  we  find  the  feeling  mani- 
fested witli  unusual  bitterness,  ^t  was  the  normal  con- 
dition throughout  all  parts  of  the  world  then  known, 
and  it  remained  a  common  characteristic,  in  a  more  or  less 
aggravated  form,  down  to  our  own  time.  Even  now, 
through(jut  great  stretches  of  country,  the  sight  of  a 
stranger  is  as  welcflime  as  that  of  a  wild  beast,  and  his 
life  is  equally  safej  In  the  juxtaposition  of  these  two 
strongly  contra.sted  scenes,  the  workings  of  revelation 
and  reason  respectively  are  pointed  out  to  us.  Reason 
dictates — or  at  least  such  was  its  advice  in  former  times: 

' "  Be  on  your  guard  against  the  stranger  !  He  Avill  surely 
do  you  no  go<jd,  and  he  may  work  you  harm."  Qio 
spoke  tlie  whole  worldTj 

In  the  midst  of  this  ocean  of  hatred  and  persecution, 
arose  the  lonely  island  of  love  ami  kindness:  the  picture 
of  Abraham  and  his  guests,  ^n  tiie  presence  of  such 
jihen(»mcna,  tlie  Psalmist  exclaims,  "  I-Vom  the  Lord  is 
this  come  to  f)ass,  it  is  marvellous  in  our  eyes,"  /.  r.,  here 
something  has  taken  place  that  is  beyond  the  grasp  of 
our  understanding^  In   our  text,  it  is  expressed  difler- 

•  Each  of  the  flfty-four  weekly  portions  into  whldi  llu-  rintateuch  is 
divided.— [Tr] 


110  SABBATH   HOURS. 

eutly ;  there  we  read,  "  The  Lord  appeared  unto  him." 
Abraham,  the  father  of  hospitality  and  kindness  to 
strangers,  was  a  manifestation  of  God,  in  the  midst  of 
a  world  of  cold  calculation. 

man  of  mere  prudence  and  sense  may  be  an  accept- 
citizcn  of  Sodom,  but  in  him  God  does  not  reveal 
himself  That  which  his  reason  does  not  teach  him,  ever 
—  remains  a  sealed  book  to  hiiuj  Everything  great,  ele-- 
vated  and  beneficent  in  character-  everything  that  adds 
to  the  happiness  of  the  world,,  the  product  of  the  self- 
denial  of  a  few  noble-minded  individuals,  is  a  divine 
revelation. 

Oh,  may  such  revelations  never  pass  away  from  our 
midst!  May  tlie  spirit  of  Abraham,  manifested  in  his 
blessed  revelations,  continue  to  exist  in  the  deeds  of  his 
children  for  ever  and  ever ! 


HOW   CAN   TEN   RIGHTEOUS   MEN  SAVE  A 
CITY  FROM  DESTRUCTION? 

Gen.  XVIIT,  XIX. 

We  read  iu  Job,  "  Can  a  mortal  be  more  righteous  than 
God  ?  Or  can  a  man  be  more  pure  than  his  jSIaker  ?" 
(IV :  17.)  This  exhortation  of  Eliphaz  to  Job  naturally 
recurs  to  us,  when  we  read  the  conversation  between 
God  and  Abraluim,  concerning  the  fate  of  Sodom  and 
Gomorrah.  Di<l  Abraliain  really  venture  to  remind 
God  of  his  duty^when  he  asked,  "Shall  the  Judge  of 
all  the  earth  not  exercise  justice?"  Did  Abraham  dare 
admonish  (Jod,  when  he  exclaimed,  "  Far  he  it  from 
thee  to  do  after  this  manner,  to  slay  the  righteous  w^ith 
the  wicked?"  Abraham,  furthermore,  implored  CJod  to 
spare  the  wicked  for  the  sake  of  fifty,  forty,  thirty  or 
even  ten  rightecnis  men  in  the  community.  Wiierein 
would  lie  the  justice  of  such  an  mtioii?  .Justice  does 
not  demand  merely  that  tlif  iiinocciit  shall  not  suffer; 
it  insists,  with  e<|ual  force,  that  the  wicked  must  not  go 
unpuni.^hcd.  \\'hat  would  we  think  of  an  earthly  judge 
who  would  refuse  to  pronounce  sentence  against  a  num- 
ber of  (criminals,  because  of  tiie  many  good  citizens  in 
the  community! 

To  inter|tret  this  paswage  literally,  as  il'  a  c(illo(|uy  luid 
really  taken  place,  in.stead  of  entering  into  the;  spirit  (»f 
the  chapter,  would   be  grossly  unjust  to  tin;  Jloly  Scrip- 

111 


112  SABBATH  HOURS. 

turcs.  The  significance  of  tlie  conversation  is  indicated 
in  the  opening  words :  "  Shall  I  hide  from  Abraham 
what  I  am  about  to  do,  seeing  that  Abraham  shall 
surely  become  a  great  and  mighty  nation,  and  all  the 
nations  of  the  earth  shall  be  blessed  in  him  ?  For  I 
know  him,  that  he  will  command  his  children  and  his 
household  after  him,  that  tliey  shall  keep  the  way  of  the 
Lord  to  do  righteousness  and  justice." 

"His  children  and  his  household  after  him"  are  to 
keep  the  way  of  the  Lord,  so  that  they  may  resemble 
God  in  DStyoi  T\p-\li,  in  "  righteousness  and  justice." 
The  contemporaries  of  Abraham,  who  had  known  the 
place  where  the  Dead  Sea  now  stretched  its  waste  of 
waters  as  a  fertile  valley,  the  site  of  populous  cities,  and 
their  children,  remembering  the  awful  catastrophe, 
would  certainly  ask  themselves  the  question :  "  IMust 
not  many  an  innocent  man  have  suffered  in  the  destruc- 
tion of  so  large  a  number  of  human  beings  ?" 

Abraham  did  not  want  the  way  of  the  Lord  to  be 
judged  by  his  contemporaries  or  his  descendants  in  the 
light  of  an  act  of  a2:)parent  injustice.  The  way  of  the 
Lord  was  to  be  a  guide  to  them  in  their  earthly  career. 
A  man's  conception  of  bis  God  always  regulates  his  life. 
Nor  can  more  be  asked  of  him.  If  his  God  is  unjust,  he 
will  also  be  unjust.  Abraham's  conversation  makes  it 
appear  that  in  the  doomed  cities,  there  were  not  fifty, 
nay,  not  even  ten,  undeserving  of  their  fate.  His  answer 
to  would-l)e  critics  was,  "  The  Judge  of  all  the  earth  does 
no  inj  ustice.  Be  ye  likewise  on  your  guard  against  wrong- 
doing in  your  earthl}-  careers." 

Subordinate  to  the  main  idea,  the  manifestation  of  the 
Ruler  of  the  universe  as  the  God  of  justice,  and  the 


HOW  CAX  TEN  RIGHTEOUS  MEN  SAVE  A  CITY?     113 

significauce  of  the  Dead  Sea  as  the  everlastiug  memorial 
of  his  justice,  various  precious  thoughts,  which  canuot 
but  appeal  to  the  thoughtful  reader,  are  found  iu  this 
passage.  As  long  as  thei-e  are  ten,  or  speaking  gener- 
ally, a  proportionate  number  of  righteous  men  in  a  com- 
munity, so  long  may  it  enjoy  a  prosperous  existence,  or 
the  hope  of  amelioration  of  its  condition  be  cherished. 
Whenever  a  peojile  has  succeeded  iu  working  its  way 
from  slavery  to  freedom  ;  from  a  state  of  rudeness  to 
that  of  civilization ;  or  has  risen  from  ignorance  to  cul- 
ture ;  or  has  pa,ssed  from  the  darkness  of  superstition  to 
the  realms  of  light ;  or  has  exchanged  rabid  fanaticism 
for  respectful  toleration,  the  achievement  has  not  been 
the  work  of  the  masses ;  the  movement  did  not,  from  its 
incipiency,  count  its  followers  by  hundreds  or  thousands 
— no,  the  pioneer  band  always  consisted  of  a  handful  of 
nol^le  men  and  women,  who  finally  succeeded  in  infusing 
a  new  spirit  into  the  pco])le  at  large.  AVithout  these 
torches  to  illuminate  the  path  of  the  beautiful,  the  true, 
the  good,  the  indifferent  masses,  would  never  have  made 
any  progress ;  on  the  contrary,  the  baser  elements  in 
the  conimuuity  wouhl  have  succeeded  in  directing  the 
multitude  into  their  j)aths.  Had  the  one  Moses  and,  by 
a  generou.s  estimate,  the  seventy  other  chosen  men  been 
taken  from  the  six  hundred  thousand  that  went  up  from 
Egyj)t  into  the  light  of  freedom,  then,  humanly  speak- 
ing, Israel  would  have  disappearccl  (Voin  th(!  stage  of 
history.  Without  Ezra  and  Nehemiah,  the  kingdom 
of  Israel  would  probably  not  have  arisen  a  second  time. 
Had  it  not  been  for  Kabbi  A'olianan  ben  Zakka'i,  Israel's 
Law  would  have  died  out.  Had  it  been  possible  for 
George   III  to  silence  one  hundred   men  like  Patrick 

9 


114  SABBATH   HOURS. 

Henry,  Samuel  Adams,  and  tlieir  compeers,  the  forma- 
tion of  tlie  United  States  might  have  been  indefinitely 
postponed.  Even  now,  perhaps,  we  should  be  the  sub- 
jects of  Her  Majesty,  the  Queen  of  England.  The 
many  prosperous  communities,  which  we  behold  on 
every  side  in  our  land,  whose  activity  is  a  source  of  rich 
blessing  to  the  country,  did  not  spring  into  life  with  a 
large  number  of  members.  They  all  owe  their  exist- 
ence to  a  few  faithful  and  energetic  individuals.  The 
masses  merely  followed  their  good  example. 

The  maintenance  and  direction  of  states,  cities,  com- 
munities and  associations,  like  their  creation  and  founda- 
tion, must  be  set  down  to  the  credit  of  a  few — the  men 
spoken  of  in  our  text  as  Zaddikim.  It  would  be  doing 
a  great  injustice  to  the  majority  of  the  citizens  of  our 
city,  as  well  as  of  others,  to  count  them  among  the 
B'shoim,  but  neither  can  they  be  counted  among  the 
Zaddikim,  the  upholders  of  the  community.  One  sec- 
tion of  the  community  provides  faithfully  for  the  wel- 
fare of  school  and  household,  taking  no  thought  for  the 
city  or  country  in  general,  for  congregations,  or  for  asso- 
ciations. Others,  again,  may  take  an  interest  in  the 
affairs  of  the  community,  not  however  to  benefit  the 
community,  but  rather  to  serve  their  own  selfish  ends. 
The  sound  kernel,  the  vital  element  of  the  community, 
is  composed  of  an  exceedingly  small  number.  It  is 
made  up  of  citizens  of  pre-eminent  probity  and  public 
spirit.  Were  these  lacking,  the  power  of  the  wicked 
would  rule  the  indifferent  masses,  and  transform  the 
most  prosperous  community  into  Sodom  and  (JonKMrah. 
This  is  the  second  lesson,  taught  to  us  in  the  form  of 
a  conversation  between   Abraham   and  Deity — a  few 


HOW  CAN  TEN  RIGHTEOUS  MEN  SAVE  A  CITY?     115 

worthy  men  may  save  a  whole  community  from  destruc- 
tion. 

Was  Lot  a  man  of  this  description  ?  The  testimony 
of  the  Holy  Scriptures  on  his  character  is  not  unexcep- 
tionable. We  read,  "  When  God  destroyed  the  cities  of 
the  plain,  he  remembered  Abraham,  and  sent  Lot  away 
out  of  the  midst  of  the  overthrow."  Lot,  therefore, 
owed  his  salvation  not  to  his  own  merit,  but  to  his  kin- 
ship with  Abraham.  It  is  true,  he  practised  hospitality, 
but  only  "in  the  evening,"  as  the  narrative  has  it.  He 
desired  the  strangers  to  rise  up  early,  and  go  on  their 
way,  without  attracting  any  notice.  He  conducted  the 
travellers  to  his  home  by  a  side-path  (nj  niD).  INFore- 
over,  this  incident  wius  the  first  intimation  that  his 
fellow-citizens  had  of  the  diHerence  between  his  mental 
attitude  and  theirs.  Up  to  that  time,  lie  had  given 
them  no  opportunity  to  find  out  that  he  held  nol)lcr 
views  tlum  they.  Lot  wivs  one  of  those  men,  common 
at  all  times  and  places,  who  are  good  when  surrounded 
l)y  g(M)d  influences,  but  who,  among  evil  companions, 
nuiinlain  a  timid  silence,  avoiding  any  appearance  that 
might  betray  a  diflerence  between  tiuir  point  of  view 
and  that  of  the  others,  and  hence  give  oiiencc.  TIh' 
men  that  hav*'  power  to  save,  tlie  Zaddikim,  wiiom 
Abraham  liiid  in  mimi,  the  men  that  could  have  rescued 
Sodom  from  destruction,  had  they  been  ])resent,  must 
have  the  courage,  not  only  to  liarhor  :in  ind('|)cii(i('iil 
opinion  in  secret,  but  to  express  their  convictions  ojumly, 
and  to  act  according  to  them.  We  nMii  of  "  fifty  right- 
eous men  irlt/iln  t/n;  riti/" — not  the  upright  man  within 
his  fo>ir  walls,  behind  dosed  doors  and  darkened  win- 
dows, not  the  pious  man    among  |»ious  men,  the  good 


116  SABBATH    HOURS. 

mau  in  ;i  comnumity  of  good  men,  l)ut  the  man  that 
shows  liis  piety  openly  "witliiu  tlie  city,"  caring  not 
what  may  be  the  opinion  of  those  about  him,  caring  not 
whether  his  sentiments  make  friends  or  enemies  for  him 
amono-  those  about  him. 

Abraham  supposed  that  fifty  such  pious  men  were  to 
be  found  in  the  five  cities,  and  thei-e  was  not  even  one ! 
To  his  contemporaries  and  his  posterity,  standing  with 
deep  emotion  on  the  brink  of  this  dead  body  of  saline 
and  sulphurous  water,  asking,  "What  caused  this  dis- 
aster? Was  it  the  work  of  a  just  God?"  he  could  reply, 
"Yes,  the  justice  of  the  eternal  law,  ruling  in  human 
affairs,  is  here  manifested."  Not  the  number  of  evil- 
doers, of  weakling  and  indifferent  citizens — they  are 
found  everywhere — caused  this  catastrophe,  but  the  lack 
of  Zaddikim,  the  salt  of  the  masses,  who  keep  human 
life  from  moral  corruption.  It  was  for  the  want  of  such 
men  that  these  cities  and  their  inhabitants  perished. 
Sodom  and  Gomorrah  are  not  the  only  victims  of  such 
a  fate.  Since  their  dav,  numberless  kinjjdoms  and  cities 
have  vanished  from  the  earth,  meeting  with  an  end  of 
horror.  Associations  have  been  dissolved,  others  drag 
out  a  weary  existence,  all  for  want  of  a  proportionate, 
if  small,  number  of  men  of  strength  of  character,  of 
noble  devotion  to  tlie  common  welfare.  The  material 
for  a  continued  existence  was  at  hand,  the  builders  were 
lacking.  The  cement  was  wanting  to  hold  the  members 
together  in  an  existence  worthy  of  their  divine  origin. 
The  pillars  that  upheld  the  structure  tottered  on  their 
foundations. 

These  Zaddikim  do  not  always  go  about  with  crowns 
upon  their  heads,  or  decorated  w*ith  orders  and  medals ; 


HOW  CAN  TEN  RIGHTEOUS  MEN  SAVE  A  CITY  ?     117 

nor  do  they,  in  all  cases,  occujDy  pulpits  and  university 
chairs,  and  bear  the  title  doctor  or  profesmr.  They  are 
sometimes  plain,  unostentatious  citizens,  who  live  quiet, 
uuassumini,^  lives,  and  quite  unconsciously  to  themselves 
as  to  others,  exercise  a  good  influence  upon  their  fel- 
lowmen.  They  do  not  always  receive  their  reward 
upon  eartli,  neither  is  their  lot,  in  all  cases,  enviable. 
Frequently,  indeed,  they  sufler  more  or  less  for  their 
courage  in  diflering  from  the  world  about  them  in 
opinion,  in  thought,  in  action.  They  frequently  hear 
the  cry,  "This  one  man  came  in  to  sojourn,  and  he  will 
needs  be  a  judge."  You,  Avho  stand  quite  alone  with 
your  antiquated  or  radical  notions  concerning  things 
human  and  divine,  you,  strange  man  that  you  are,  you 
wish  to  act  as  our  judge  !  Alas !  There  are  not  always 
angels  at  hand  to  take  the  part  of  the  innovators,  when 
attacked,  an<l  t(j  save  them.  History  has  many  a  sad 
tale  to  relate  of  martyrs  to  conviction. 

Every  man  cannot,  therefore,  be  expected  to  take  a 
bold  stand,  and  so  bring  down  upon  himself  the  wrath 
of  the  multitude.  Every  one  does  not  possess  either  the 
courage  or  tlic  ability  to  carry  on  the  fight,  and  indeed 
a  great  number  of  such  bold  spirits  is  not  needed  in  the 
world.  ViWt  it  ought  always  to  be  borne  in  niiml  that 
the  existence  of  the  nuuiscs,  characterized  as  it  is  by 
exclusive  attention  In  their  own  concerns,  de|i('nds  upon 
the  virtue  (mDr)  of  a  comparatively  small  imiid)er. 
Ueverencc  is  due  to  those  capable  of  exertions  for  which 
we  lack  till'  necessary  strength.  I'^iirthc  rmore,  what  we 
an;  not  strong  enough  to  accomplish  in  birge  circles,  let 
us  seek  to  achieve  in  siiiallfr  splieres.  Let  each  one  of 
us  make  an  earnest  efibrt  to  become  the  shining  example, 


118  SABBATH    HOURS. 

the  Zaddik  in  his  family,  in  society,  in  congregational 
life.  "  In  the  place  where  there  are  no  men,  strive  to  be 
a  man."  Let  each  one  say  to  himself,  "  It  may  be  that 
the  little  world  of  my  activity  needs  just  such  as  I  am 
to  influence  it  to  pursue  a  moral,  a  pious  existence,  and 
be  saved  from  destruction."  Let  us  remember,  that 
some  must  always  be  the  bearers,  while  the  others  are 
borne  along.  Let  us  put  our  shoulders  to  the  wheel, 
a.shamed  to  allow  ourselves  to  be  carried  by  others,  and 
to  live  by  the  mei-it  (nni)  of  other  and  better  men. 
And  may  wc,  fathers  and  mothers,  make  it  our  highest 
aim  to  be  counted  among  the  Zaddikim,  when  the  Judge 
of  all  the  earth  counts  the  righteous  men  of  our  city 
and  country.  May  we  be  found  among  those  who,  like 
Abraham,  command  their  children  and  their  households 
to  observe  God's  ways,  to  live  "  to  do  righteousness  and 
justice." 


"  I  THOUGHT,  SURELY  THERE  IS  NO  FEAR 
OF  GOD  IN  THIS  PLACE." 


Gen.  XX -.11. 


Abiraelech,  King  of  Gerar,  reproached  Abraham 
bitterly  for  allowing  him  to  come  to  the  very  brink  of 
a  great- sin.  Abraham  excused  himself,  saying:  "I 
thought,  Surely  there  is  uo  fear  of  God  in  this  place, 
and  they  will  slay  me." 

Sin,  therefore,  must  have  been  discussed  prior  to  the 
existence  of  the  religion  of  Israel,  and  the  fear  of  sin 
held  man  in  check,  even  in  the  time  of  Al)raham.  AVho 
can  say  how  much  earlier  in  tlie  world's  history  this 
feeling  acted  aa  a  restraining  force?  Sin  was  not,  at 
that  time,  an  offence  against  morality,  a  vi(jlation  of 
a  philosophical  code  of  ethics,  l)ut  an  oUence  against 
Deity,  and  the  fear  of  sin  was  the  dread  of  the  punish- 
ment that  oflendcd  Deity  would  visit  upon  num.  With- 
out the  fear  of  Ckk],  the  fear  of  sin  did  not  exist;  where 
the  concej)tion  ol'  ( iod  was  wanting,  there  was  likewise 
no  conception  of  sin. 

In  the  scene  of  our  narrative,  the  country  in  which 
Abraliam  and  Al)iiii(lc(li  caiiK!  into  contact  with  each 
other,  there  was  no  university,  no  lecture  platform,  no 
library;  in  fact,  no  book  and  no  pulpit;  neither  is  there 
any  mention  of  a  temple  The  oidy  structure  s|)oken 
of  as  devoted  to  the  service  of  God  is  an  altar,  made  by 

119 


120  SABBATH   HOURS. 

setting  up  a  single  stone.  And  yet  men  knew  what  is 
meant  by  "  sin ;"  they  recoiled  in  horror  from  certain 
acts,  and  recognized  that  toleration  of  them  would  bring 
distress  upon  king  and  realm. 

Such  was  the  aspect  of  affairs  in  Abimelech's  tiny 
kingdom,  four  thousand  years  ago.  The  condition  of 
Gerar  was  that  of  the  entire  ancient  world,  and  the 
description  applicable  to  that  time  holds  good  of  the 
world  of  to-day.  To  the  saying  in  the  Bible:  "  The  fear 
of  the  Lord  is  the  beginning  of  wisdom,"  might  be  added  : 
"  The  fear  of  the  Lord  is  the  beginning  of  the  fear  of  sin." 

That  which  we  term  science,  is  of  comparatively 
recent  development ;  even  in  its  incipiency,  it  was  the 
possession  of  but  few  men.  So  small  was  their  number 
that  they  were  counted,  and  but  seven  were  honored  with 
the  title,  "  Wise  Men." 

What  occuj^ied  the  mind  of  man  in  that  distant  day? 
The  intellect  craves  nourishment  as  well  as  the  body, 
and  its  food  is  thought.  What,  then,  engaged  the 
thoughts  of  the  individual,  when  the  duties  connected 
Avith  the  management  of  his  simple  household  had  been 
fulfilled  ?  What  was  the  common  thought  of  the  nation  ? 
For  a  nation  must,  of  necessity,  have  a  common  subject 
for  contemplation.  Religion,  the  gods — these  were  the 
topics  for  the  consideration  of  the  whole  peoj^le — their 
origin,  their  dwelling-place,  their  occupations,  the  objects 
of  their  love  and  hate,  Avhat  angers  them,  what  pleases 
them — about  all  this  the  wise  men  taught,  and  the  poets 
sang.  From  this  source  was  drawn  thought  to  engage 
the  mind,  and  joy  and  sorrow,  pleasure  and  pain  to 
nourish  the  emotions  connected  with  home,  the  commu- 
nity, the  country  at  large. 


THERE  IS  NO  FEAR  OF  GOD  IN  THIS  PLACE.        121 

The  idea  of  humanity  is  of  even  more  recent  origin 
than  science.  "  Ethics,"  "  phihiuthrophy,"  "  virtue  " 
were  unknown  conceptions  in  that  early  day.  They 
were  not  present  to  spur  man  on  to  good  deeds,  or  to 
restrain  him  from  wrong-doing.  The  fear  of  the  gods 
alone  regulated  the  life  of  the  individual  and  of  the 
community. 

Abraham  said,  "  '  I  thought,  Surely  there  is  no  fear  of 
God  in  this  place,'  and  therefore,  neither  life  nor  the 
marriage  bond  is  held  sacred."  The  Elohivi  of  Abime- 
lech  was,  indeed,  not  the  Adonni  of  Abraham  ;  neverthe- 
less, the  fear  of  the  gods,  be  they  called  Elohim  or 
Adonai,  was  the  only  bound  set  to  human  passion,  the 
sole  protection  against  rude  force,  the  one  power  bridling 
wild  lust. 

Out  of  the  belief  in  gods  grew  the  belief  in  one  God, 
and  along  with  the  belief  in  one  God  came  the  idea  of 
this  God  as  the  Father  of  mercy,  the  righteous  judge, 
ruling  according  to  eternal  laws,  as  King,  i.  c,  an  all- 
guiding  Providence,  and  as  a  holy  Being,  i.  e.,  a  God 
who,  without  thought  of  his  creatures'  service  or  grati- 
tude, wills  and  achieves  naught  but  good.  However,  in 
Israel,  too,  there  was  no  "  virtue,"  no  system  of  "  ethics," 
independent  of  religion.  There  wa.s  but  one  idea — the 
fear  of  the  Lord.  Tiie  conimanfhnciits  in  the  Bible  en- 
joining gf-ricrosity,  humanity,  morality,  or  holiness  upon 
man  are  usually  li»llo\vod  by  tiie  phra-sc,  " 'jx  "I  am 
the  Lord."  Thus,  "Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as 
thyself:    I  am  the  Lord." 

"Thou  shalt  fear  thy  God  :    I  am  the  Lord." 

In  the  course  of  centuries  the  teachings  of  the  God  of 
Israel  had  become  so  comj)letely  a  jiiirt  (»f  the  foriii  and 


122  SABBATH   HOURS. 

essence  of  civilization,  that  good  was  recognized  and 
practised  under  the  det^ignation,  "  virtue,"  "  morality," 
"truth,"  the  1)ad,  shunned  as  "vice,"  "superstition," 
"  falsehood,"  independently  of  the  fear  of  the  Lord. 
Then,  men  could  live  good,  rational  lives  in  which  the 
thought  of  the  fear  of  God  played  no  part  whatever. 
With  the  development  of  science,  the  intellectual  food 
provided  was  more  than  could  be  digested  by  a  whole 
generation,  and  so  entirely  could  the  new  treasures  of 
knowledge  occupy  the  mind  that  not  even  one  thought 
remained  to  be  bestowed  upon  God. 

If  such  is  the  case,  wherein  lies  the  force  of  Abraham's 
assertion,  that  where  the  fear  of  God  is  lacking,  one 
must  be  prepared  for  the  worst  ?  We  must  admit  that 
there  are,  at  present,  individuals  and  also  certain  limited 
associations  of  men  upon  whose  thought  and  action  the 
fear  of  the  Lord  has  no  influence  whatever,  and  with 
whom  it  is,  nevertheless,  safe,  nay,  even  pleasant  to 
dwell.  In  virtue  and  generosity,  they  bear  comparison 
with  any  god-fearing  man  or  woman,  and  hence,  they  do 
not  illustrate  the  truth  of  Al)rahanrs  assertion.  Let 
us  seek  to  make  the  consequences  of  such  godlessness 
clearer  by  means  of  an  illustration. 

In  Holland,  many  laborers  are  constantly  working  at 
the  dams  and  canals  ;  were  their  care  and  exertions  to 
cease  even  for  a  few  years,  half  of  the  land  would  be 
swallowed  up  by  the  ocean.  Many  thousands,  living  in 
that  country,  do  not  lend  any  aid  in  defending  the  land 
from  the  threatening  waters;  nevertheless,  they  dwell  in 
security,  and  partly  upon  the  very  soil  that  has  been 
won  by  hard  labor  from  the  unwilling  sea.  In  like 
manner,  the  synagogues,  churches  and  religious  schools 


THERE  IS  NO  FEAR  OF  GOD  IN  THIS  PLACE.       123 

— all  of  which  nourish  the  fear  of  the  Lord — are  the 
dikes  resisting  the  advance  of  godless  materialism. 
Picture  to  yourselves  the  state  of  affairs  without  these 
dikes.  Think  of  all  these  buildings  devoted  to  the  ser- 
vice of  God  as  closed.  Imagine  that  there  is  neither 
church  nor  synagogue,  and  in  their  stead,  put  gymnasia 
or  even  scientific  institutions.  Then  would  appear  the 
truth  of  Abraham's  declaration  that  where  there  is  not 
fear  of  the  Lord,  nothing  is  considered  sacred,  nothing 
is  secure.  The  foundation  would  be  taken  from  under 
tlie  feet  of  the  moral  hero  denying  the  existence  of  God, 
just  as  the  comfort  and  security  of  the  Hollanders  would 
be  a  thing  of  the  past,  were  the  activity  of  the  workmen 
at  the  dikes  to  cease. 

An  individual  or  even  hundreds  or  thousands  of  men, 
here  and  there,  may  set  up  reason  in  place  of  God,  or 
substitute  the  doctrine  of  humanity  for  religion;  the 
whole  body  of  mankiud  will  not  be  injured  in  the  least. 
]5ut  woe  unto  us,  were  the  l)anner  of  godlcssness  to  be 
raised  among  large  bodies  of  men,  and  the  fear  of  the 
Lord  attacked  by  them  in  closely  serried  ranks!  A 
great  nation,  standing  upon  the  very  height  of  civiliza- 
tion, once  nuide  such  an  attempt,  and  its  deliaut  action  did 
not  go  unpunished.  How  much  innocent  blood  was  tlicrc 
slicd,  because  tlicie  was  no  fear  of  the  Lord  in  the  land  ! 

It  cannot  b(;  denied  that  even  the  hands  of  religion 
reek  with  Idooil  ;  that  the  inimlxr  of  its  victims  can 
scarcely  be  estinuitcd  ;  that  religions  iuivc  l)ecn  a  curse 
as  well  as  a  source  of  blcK^ing  to  MKinkind.  I'.ut  this 
evil  tiling  was  not  the  true  fear  of  the  Lord  ;  it  was 
malice,  delusion,  avarice,  ignorance  under  tlu^  mask  of 
religion,  not  pure  fi-ar  of  God,  free  from  ba.se  alloy. 


124  SABBATH    HOURS. 

Yet,  the  evil  followiug  iu  the  train  of  religion,  how- 
ever great  it  may  aj^pear  to  us,  is  scarcely  to  be  taken 
into  account  in  comparison  Avith  the  misery  that  would 
ensue,  were  every  spark  of  n  god-fearing  spirit  among 
men  to  be  extinguished.  A  dwelling-place  among 
snakes,  crocodiles,  hyenas,  tigers  and  wolves  would  be  a 
I^aradise,  compared  with  life  among  men  entirely  devoid 
of  religion,  of  the  fear  of  God. 

The  fear  of  the  Lord  is  the  beginning  of  the  fear  of 
sin.  None  can  deny  that  the  fear  of  the  Lord  is  older 
than  science,  than  "  virtue,"  than  life  regulated  by  pure 
reason.  At  the  same  time,  the  fear  of  the  Lord  is  the 
end  of  the  fear  of  sin,  i.  e.,  the  fear  of  the  Lord,  as  a 
motive  for  shunning  evil,  will  outlive  all  others.  The 
fear  of  God  has  ever  been  victorious  over  all  opposing 
forces,  and  will  ever  continue  so.  When  the  fury  of 
wanton  si)irits  is  spent,  when  the  attempts  to  solve  the 
mystery  of  the  world  without  a  God  have  failed,  the 
thinkers,  worn  out  with  their  struggles,  meekly  and 
penitently  return  to  God  in  their  old  age,  and  confess : 
"  We  thought  that  we  were  building  a  system,  pointing 
heavenwards,  a  system  as  comprehensive  and  as  power- 
ful as  believers  teach  their  God  to  be,  and  we  have  been 
digging  downwards,  digging  pits  into  which  our  thought 
has  fallen  ever  lower." 

Our  text  warns  us  of  still  another  danger.  Abraham 
thought  tliat  the  fear  of  God  did  not  exist  in  Gerar,  but 
he  was  mistaken.  Abimelech  spoke  with  horror  of  the 
imminence  of  sin.  He  was  affrighted  even  by  the 
appearance  of  a  god  in  a  dream.  Be,  therefore,  not 
hasty  in  your  judgment  of  a  fellow-man's  relation  to 
God.     Not  every  man  that  loudly  proclaims  his  belief 


THERE  IS  XO  FEAR  OF  GOD  IN  THIS  PLACE.       125 

in  God  bears  a  truly  go(l-fearin<r  spirit  within  him,  and 
many  a  one  that  seldom  pronounces  tlie  name  of  the 
Lord  reverences  him  the  more  deeply,  and  serves  him 
the  more  eagerly.  Surely,  it  is  not  good  to  blaspheme, 
but  the  heart  cannot  always  be  judged  from  the  utter- 
ances of  the  li])S.  ]Many  a  one  is  indifferent  in  his  ser- 
vice of  God,  because  he  knows  that  God's  service  is 
cared  for.  Conscious  of  his  own  upright  life,  he  forgets 
him  that  gave  us  the  law  of  good.  Were  he  to  see  his 
faith  in  actual  danger,  he  would  i)lace  himself  before 
the  breach,  just  as  the  Hollander  leads  a  peaceful  exist- 
ence while  the  weather  is  calm,  but  rushes  to  the  dikes, 
when  the  tide  seeks  to  destroy  the  land.  There  is 
nothing  so  arrogant  as  the  condemnation  of  a  whole 
region,  an  entire  community,  with  the  assertion :  "  I 
thought,  there  is  no  fear  of  the  Lord  in  this  land." 
He  alone,  whom  we  should  fear,  knows  who  truly  fears 
and  reverences  him.  He  alone  may  say:  "Surely, 
there  is  no  fear  of  the  Lord  in  this  place."  ]\Ian,  how'- 
cvcr,  has  enovigh  to  occupy  his  attention  in  his  own  soul. 
It  is  sufficient  for  him  to  keej)  alive  within  himself  the 
fear  of  the  Ivord. 


7        •  •      '  *  ^       ^       J-  T 


EDUCATIONAL  INFLUENCES. 

Gen.  XXI  :  9-15. 

"And  Sarah  saw  the  son  of  Ilagar  the  Egyptian,  whom  she  had  borne 
unto  Abraham,  mocking.  Wherefore  she  said  to  Abraliam,  Cast  out 
this  bondwoman  and  her  son:  for  the  son  of  this  bondwoman  shall 
not  be  heir  with  my  son,  with  Isaac." 


(Ft 


^It  Avould  surely  have  been  simpler  to  speak  of  the 
child  ])v  name.  Why  not  say  at  once,  "  Sarah  saw 
Ishmael."  An  attentive  reader  of  the  Bible  cannot, 
liowever,  have  failed  to  notice  that  in  the  description  of 
its  characters,  those  of  good  as  well  as  those  of  evil  fame, 
the  name  of  the  niotlier  is  frequently  mentioned.  Such 
is  the  case  hereT)  Sarah  speaks  of  Ishmael  as  the  "  son  of 
Hagar  the  Egyptian."  By  this  designation,  she  indicated 
the  evil  nature  of  the  boy,  and  justified  the  demand  for 
his  removal.  She  thus  intimated  that  there  rested  upon 
him  the  spirit  of  his  mother,  an  abandoned  creature 
fi-om  her  very  childhood,  the  offspring  of  slaves  in  Egypt, 
brought  to  Canaan  /like  a  bale  of  goods,  a  creature 
without  a  will  of  her  own,  subject  to  the  whims  of  her 
mistress.  How  could  anything  good  be  expected  of  her 
son  and  his  education  ? 

It   is  a   painful    thought  that  many  human  beings, 
Ishmaol-like,  are  born  under  an  evil  sta£)   Ancestral- 
imperfections   of   mind   and    soul,   acting  as   dominant 
influence.-5  in  the  determination  of  character,  become  the 

126 


EDUCATIONAL   INFLUENCES.  127 

heritage  of  children  and  grandcliildrcn.     It  is  dithcult 
to  ])ringsuch  observations  into  harmony  with  a  belief  in 
a  just  and  nieroifid  God.  ^ But  belief  is  not  an  easy  mat- 
ter ;  Avere  it  so,  there  would  not  be  so  many  unbeliev- 
ers, nor  so  many  of  little  faith.     The  believer  approaches 
(piestions  concerning  Providence,  with  the  modest  ad- 
mission :    "  Here  the  domain  of  knowledge  ends,  and 
that  of  belief  begins.     A  Providence  does  exist,  a  divine, 
ruling  Power,  whose  ways,  however,  are  too  exalted  for 
our  comprehension."     Nevertheless,  we  cannot  help  but 
see  that  for  many  men,  paths  for  good  or  for  evil  are 
designated  at  birth,  and   not  every  one  possesses  the 
necessary   strength   to  forsake  the  allotted  road.     The 
angel  could  well  prophesy  to  Hagar  that  the  son  born 
unto  her  w(juld  be  a  wild  man,  whose  hand  would  be 
against  every  man's,  and  against  whom  would  be  every 
man's   hand.     Tliere  are  many  mothers,  to  whom  one 
might  thus  j)rophesy  without  being  an  angel.     A  Hagar 
will  ever  1)6  the  mother  of  an  Ishmael. 
^>^  Mothoi-8,  pre-eminently,  are  resjjonsible  for  the  moral 
condition  (»f  their  cliildren.     The  great  men,  who  have 
been  benefactors  to  tlie  race  in  the  varied  situations  of 
life,  and  tlic  myriads  of  earnest,  helpful  men  and  women 
in  cities  and  villages,  whose  unostentatious  work  in  their 
limited  circle  is  a  source  of  blessing,  owe  their  useful- 
ncs.s  to   a  mother's  influence  which  rests  iijion  (hem,  and 
inspires  (hem  to  action.     On  the  other  hand,  the  greater 
share  of  re.sponsil)iiity  for  what  is  low  and  mean  in  tiieir 
children  rests  upon  the  mothers  as  well.     Many  factors 
enter  into  the  education  of  a  man  to  lead  him  away  from 
the   good   or   the  evil  course  prej)ared    for  him  in    liis 
home;  hut   in  the  training  bestowed  by  home,  and  in 


128  SABBATH  HOURS. 

that  element  of  home  training  determined  by  the  char- 
acter and  disposition  of  parents,  tlie  maternal  influence 
is  of  the  first  importance. 

Do  we  ask  when  the  education  of  a  human  being 
commences?  Much  sooner  than  is  ordinarily  held  to  be 
the  case — long  before  the  child  is  born.  The  choice  of 
a  helpmate  is  the  beginning  of  this  training,  for  this 
choice  decides  the  character  of  the  family  to  be  founded. 
The  wild  Bedouins,  who  even  to-day,  render  entire 
stretches  of  country  unsafe,  and  remain  implacable  ene- 
mies to  civilization,  are  the  descendants  of  Ishmael,  the 
son  of  Hagar  the  Egyj^tian. 

Sarah  said,  "  Ishmael  must  leave  my  house ;  he  may 
no  longer  associate  Avith  Isaac."  Here  we  have  the  sec- 
ond factor  in  man's  education — association.  Of  what 
avail  is  the  discipline  of  the  home,  even  when  exercised 
by  the  best  of  mothers ;  of  what  avail  is  a  school  though 
conducted  by  the  most  cajiable  and  conscientious  of 
teachers,  against  the  mighty  stream  of  life  which  flows 
threateningly  around  the  quiet  home  ?  The  mother's  mild 
words,  the  wise  advice  of  the  father,  and  the  earnest  dis- 
cipline by  both,  can  have  but  little  force  against  the 
power  of  visible  example  in  the  world  without.  "  Ex- 
ample is  stronger  than  precept."  Example  often  insinu- 
ates itself  into  the  heart,  upon  whose  hardness  entreaty 
and  solemn  warning  can  make  no  impression.  The 
character  which  father  and  mother  have  labored  hard 
to  form  is  frequently  altered,  ruined  or  remodelled  by 
society.  However,  this  change  is  not  always  for  the 
worse ;  frequently,  indeed,  it  proves  a  true  blessing. 

Parents  send  their  children  to  school,  and  believe 
them  in  good  keeping.     It  is  true,  there  they  receive 


EDUCATIONAL    INFLUENCES.  129 

from  their  teachers  the  knowledge  necessary  for  them 
throughout  life,  but  in  their  associations  with  the  pupils, 
they  learn  both  good  habits  and  evil  ways.  Frequently, 
•the  advantages  of  the  instruction  of  the  former  are  out- 
weighed by  the  disadvantage  of  the  evil  influence  of 
the  latter.  In  many  a  one,  the  seed  of  moral  ruin  has 
been  planted  in  an  institution  of  learning ;  there,  he 
has  learnt  how  to  bring  down  his  good  parents  with 
sorrow  to  the  grave.  Sermons  with  illustrations  from 
real  life  are  preached  to  them  on  the  play -ground,  in  the 
servants'  hall,  in  the  workshop,  in  the  counting-rooms. 
How  the  remembrance  of  your  words,  good  parents  and 
teachers,  pales  in  the  presence  of  the  living  example! 
In  training  your  children,  it  is,  therefore,  not  the  small- 
est part  of  your  duty  to  keep  far  from  the  innocent  the 
poison  of  evil  example.  "  Cast  out  this  bondwoman 
and  her  son  I"  Remove  from  your  children's  vicinity 
all  that  are  morally  unsound,  from  the  child's  nuree  to 
the  frivolous  dandy  that  frequents  your  house,  and 
shrink  not  from  ridding  yourself  of  hoary  age,  if  its  bji.se- 
ness  is  likely  to  conuj)t  your  pure  sons  and  daughtei*s. 

"And  the  thing  was  very  grievous  in  Abraham's  eyes, 
because  of  his  son." 

Here  we  have  the  tliinl  factor  in  education.  I'iiLlicr 
and  mother  must  act  in  harmony  with  each  other  in  the 
training  of  their  children.  lietter  no  education  at  all 
than  that  father  and  mother  should  work  in  opposite 
directions. 

Al)rahani,  doubtless,  possessed  authority  enough  to 
make  his  will  prevail  in  his  house.  He  cinild  not  see 
tiiat  any  harm  would  come  to  Isaac  from  Ishnuiel's  con- 
tinued stay  in  his  home.     He  felt  severely  the  separa- 

10 


130  SABBATH   HOURS. 

tion  from  his  son,  but  a  divine  voice  cried  to  him :  "  In 
all  that  Sarah  may  say  unto  thee,  hearken  unto  her 
voice."     Act  in  harmony  with  the  mother  of  the  house. 

The  discipline  of  children  and  the  education  of  children 
are  two  different  things.  Discipline  is  established  in 
cases  in  which  an  energetic  fathejr  guides  the  reins  of 
authority  in  conjunction  with  a  passive  mother;  or  again, 
in  which  an  energetic  mother  stands  by  the  side  of  an 
insignificant  father.  The  children  are  well  disci2:)lined 
as  long  as  they  feel  the  restraints  of  home  government. 
As  soon  as  they  think  themselves  free,  they  are  different 
beings,  and  follow  different  impulses.  If,  however, 
father  and  mother  are  at  one  in  zeal  and  purpose,  then 
we  have  true  education,  then  the  spirit  of  the  parents 
informs  the  character  of  the  children.  The  house  in 
which  children  are  di><ciplincd  is  like  a  well-regulated 
clock,  Avhich  keeps  time  accurately  as  long  as  it  is  wound, 
but  stops  when  the  motor  power  of  the  spring  is  no  longer 
active.  The  house  in  which  children  are  educated  is 
not  moved  by  mechanism,  but  animated  by  a  soul, 
Though  the  parents  have  long  been  at  rest,  or  though, 
if  alive,  they  no  longer  guide  their  children's  footsteps, 
still  their  noble  work  will  continue  to  bear  fruit. 

Finally,  we  must  con.sider  the  moral  value  of  the  edu- 
cational method  pursued  in  Abraham's  home^  (f^^®  P^^' 
pose  of  sending  away  Ishmael,  the  removal  oi  an  evil 
influence,  was  good,  but  what  can  be  said  of  the  means 
employed  ?  It  is  true,  the  circun)stanccs  of  the  time  did 
not  permit  Abraham  to  send  wife  and  child  to  the  rail- 
way station,  and  to  secure  for  them  comfortable  places 
in  a  palace  car,  in  which  they  might  journey  in  safety 
to  Egypt,  but  surely  he  could  have  devised  ii  more  hu- 


EDUCATIONAL   INFLUEXCES.  131 

mane  method  of  carrying  out  the  harsh  measure.  It  is 
highly  displeasing  to  us  to  see  him  show  the  woman  and 
her  child  the  door,  saying  to  them,  "  Here  are  bread 
and  a  skin  of  water.  Take  them  and  find  your  way 
through  the  desert  into  distant  Egypt  as  best  you  can." 
In  our  day,  too,  there  are  men  that  do  not  treat  their 
own  kinspeople  kindly,  but  they  are  not  praised  for  their 
behavior,  and  surely  not  respected  ;  under  certain  cir- 
cumstances, indeed,  they  are  severely  called  to  account 
for  their  actions. 

In  our  text,  however,  the  occurrence  is  described  as  if 
quite  natural  and  proper;  in  fact,  the  seal  of  divine 
aj)pn)val  is  set  upon  it. 

Tliis  point  in  the  narrative  leads  us  up  to  the  fourth 
factor  in  man's  education — time  and  j)lace.  Man  is  the 
child  of  his  century,  and  as  the  "heir  of  all  the  ages," 
he  constitutes  mankind.  Four  thousand  years  and  thou- 
sands of  miles  lie  between  us  and  the  events  of  our 
narrative.  Abrahani  was  a  child  of  liis  eentury — the 
twentidh  since  creation,  according  to  l>ii>lical  calcula- 
tion, just  as  we  are  cliildrcn  nf  our  century,  the  si.xtieth 
since  creation,  V^'<^"<»rding  to  the  same  method  of  reckon- 
ing. Abrahani  wa.-i  a  child  of  (lie  Orient ;  we  are  chil- 
dren of  Europe  and  America.  Surely,  we  have  learnt 
something  in  these  ff)ur  thousand  years,  especially  in  a 
zone  more  favorai)Ie  to  culture.  And  we  have;  learnt 
and  been  taught  nuich  that  is  good  an<l  noble,  which 
was  unknown  to  Abraham  and  tiie  other  patriarchs. 
The  spiritual  achievements  of  the  four  tlionsand  years 
of"  tlie  education  uf  numkiuil  cm  uowhcn;  1)0  more 
clearly  seen  than  in  the  legal  enactments  aliout  the  posi- 
tion and  fstiinatiou  of  woman  in  tlie  marriage  relation. 


132  SABBATH   HOURS. 

The  treatment  of  Hagar  and  her  child,  as  the  child  of 
a  slave,  four  thousand  years  ago,  in  the  Orient,  was 
normal,  in  keeping  with  the  culture  of  a  formative 
period.  To-day,  in  the  midst  of  the  culture  of  Europe 
and  the  countries  settled  by  emigration  thence,  such 
action  would  be  inhuman,  deserving  of  punishment. 

"  He  whose  actions  find  favor  in  the  sight  of  the  best 
of  his  contemporaries,  lives  for  all  time,"  says  the  poet. 
We  can  demand  no  more  of  man  than  that  he  should 
rank  among  the  best  of  his  time.  As  such,  Abraham 
and  Sarah  will  always  be  deeply  reverenced  by  us.  But 
woe  to  the  world,  Avere  there  no  times,  nobler  in  their 
influence  than  the  Abrahamic  period;  no  ideas  of  mo- 
rality, purer  and  nobler  than  those  amid  which  the 
patriarchs  and  the  other  Biblical  heroes  lived  and 
labored !  In  spite  of  their  deficiencies,  which  we  need 
take  no  pains  to  deny,  the  ancients  gain  in  our  esteem, 
when  we  remember  the  deficiencies  of  their  teacher — 
the  time  in  which  they  lived.  We,  however,  in  consid- 
eration of  the  fact  that  teacher  Time  has,  since  those 
days,  gained  so  much  in  the  matter  of  knowledge  of  the 
good  and  the  right,  must  demand  greater  things  of 
ourselves. 


"LEAD  US  NOT  INTO  TEMPTATION." 

Gen.  XXII. 

"  God  tempted  Abraham  !"  Did  the  Omuiscieut,  then, 
not  know  what  would  be  Abraham's  decision  ?  To  lead 
a  man  into  temptation,  deliberately  to  place  sin  in  his 
path,  is  considered  unworthy  of  a  mere  mortal — how 
can  we,  then,  ascribe  such  an  act  to  God  ?  Let  us  de- 
vote our  attention  to  this  and  other  peculiar  expressions 
in  a  chapter  of  the  Bible  that  has  always  been  lield 
in  high  honor  by  us. 

The  oldest  and  most  highly  venerated  prayer  of  the 
Christian  Church,  its  show  prayer,  so  to  speak,  is  the 
Pater-noster.  It  would  be  highly  improper  for  me  to 
send  forth,  from  this  place,  a  ho.stile  criticism  of  any- 
thing held  sacred  by  another  religious  community,  were 
it  not  that,  first  of  all,  learned  Israelites  have,  with 
much  labor,  traced  each  part  of  this  prayer  to  Jewish 
.sources.  Again,  many  I.sraelitc.s  look  upon  it  as  not 
merely  harmless,  but  of  surpassing  merit,  mid  it  is  not  at 
all  displea-sing  to  them  to  have  their  chililrcn  join  in  (he 
prayer  in  the  devotional  exerci.scs  of  the  public  sclioois, 
and  finally,  1  sball  really — to  use  a  C()llo(|uialism — be 
niiiiding  my  own  biisinc.s.s,  since  one  i)art  of  tii(!  prayer 
under  criticism  is  to  be  found  in  our  own  liturgy: 
P'OJ  'tS  N"?  iJKOn  '7K1    "  Lt^ad  us   not  int<j  temptation." 


134  SABBATH   HOURS. 

God  did  lead  Abraliain  into  temptation.  It  cannot  be 
gainsaid.  According  to  our  sages,  he  tempted  him  not 
only  once,  but  even  ten  times. 

When  the  Children  of  Israel  were  in  the  desert,  God 
"led  them  into  temptation."  The  Bible  repeats  this  asser- 
tion again  and  again  with  great  emphasis.  David  cer- 
tainly understood  the  art  of  praying,  as  but  few  others, 
and  he  makes  the  direct  appeal.  "  Try  me  and  prove  me." 

A  prayer  for  immunity  from  temptation,  then,  finds 
no  support  in  the  Holy  Scriptures.  On  the  contrary,  to 
come  into  God's  presence  with  such  a  j^etition  seems  a 
violation  of  the  spirit  of  the  Bible. 

Long  after  the  death  of  the  founder  of  Christianity — 
though  at  not  so  late  a  period  that  a  sharp  line  of 
demarcation  was  drawn  between  Jew  and  Christian, 
between  Jewis-h  and  Christian  literature,  as  was  to  be 
the  case  afterward — Abba  Areka  formulated  the  prayer, 
jVOJ  'tS  vh  "  Lead  us  not  into  temptation !" 

The  Church  did  not  borrow  this  phrase  from  the 
Synagogue.  It  is  more  probable  that  Abba  Areka  con- 
ceived this  supplication  under  the  influence  of  the 
ecstatic,  the  plaintively  sentimental  atmosphere  sur- 
rounding the  new  sect.  We  find  other  traces  of  the 
familiarity  of  this  great  teacher  with  the  apocryphal 
books,  and  also  that  he  did  not  hesitate  to  copy  from 
them  without  stating  his  sources. 

The  whole  prayer  of  which  the  phrase  under  discus- 
sion is  a  jiart  breathes  the  Christian  dogma  of  the  sub- 
jection of  the  will,  and  of  grace  as  a  means  of  salvation: 

"  Teach  me  to  know  thy  law  ;  lead  me  in  thy  precepts. 
Let  me  not  go  astray.  Suffer  me  not  to  fall  into  temp- 
tation or  disgrace.     Let  wicked  impulses  gain  no  power 


LEAD   US   NOT   INTO   TEMPTATION.  135 

over  me.     Keep  far  from  me  all  evil  associations ;  and 
let  all  my  powers  learn  to  serve  thee." 

Breathes  there  tlirongh  this  prayer  the  spirit  of  our 
stronf',  sound  and  rational  belief?  our  idea  of  God  and  of 
the  dignity  of  his  morally  free  children  ?  No,  forgive 
me,  Abba,  thou  great  and  pious  teacher,  no  Israelite  can 
repeat  thy  prayer  in  sincerity  !  It  is  not  a  growth  from 
holy  Israelitish  soil.  The  twigs  and  leaves  extend  into 
the  field  of  our  pure  faith,  l)ut  the  trunk  is  rooted,  if 
not  in  a  rank  soil,  at  least  in  mould  in  which  doctrines 
concerning  God  and  human  nature  foreign  to  us  are 
fostered. 

God  does  lead  us  into  temptation  !  Of  Abraham's 
temptations  only  ten  are  recorded.  Fortunate  Patri- 
arch !  Our  temptations  mount  up  into  the  thousands. 
No  day  passes  in  which  they  do  not  assail  us.  Certainly, 
temptations  assail  us,  but  how  is  it  with  our  power  of 
resistance?  Most  certainly,  we,  too,  withstand  them. 
He  must  be,  indeed,  a  weak  creature  who,  in  the  whole 
course  of  his  life,  ha.s  not  found  witliin  himself  the 
strength  to  resist  t<'iiiptation  at  least  ten  times. 

Wherein  would  lie  the  strength  an<l  the  excellence  of 
virtue,  if  the  tem]>t!ition  to  yield  to  other  inclinations 
did  not  have  to  be  resisted?  Would  self-restraint  be  a 
virtue,  were  it  not  for  the  k^mptation  to  yield  to  desire? 
Ami  where  would  lie  the  merit  of  piety,  were  it  not  for 
the  temptation  to  forsake  it,  iind  follow  in  tlie  seductive 
patli  of  worldliness? 

Amf»ng  the  earliest  passages  in  the  life  of  the  first 
human  pair  rcconlcMl  in  tlu;  Holy  Scriptures  is  the 
account  of  the  temptation  which  preceded  the  first  sin: 
"And  when  the  woman  saw  that  the  tree  was  good  for 


136  SABBATH  HOURS. 

food,  and  that  it  Avas  pleasant  to  the  eyes,"  etc.  Was 
not  that  a  teni2>tation  ?  Sin  always  appears  to  us  in  an 
attractive  guise,  challenging  our  attention,  while  virtue, 
unassuming  in  appearance,  rests  quietly  in  the  corner, 
alluring  none,  waiting  to  be  wooed.  The  first  tempta- 
tion is  placed  beside  the  first  duty.  Duty  and  temptation 
are  of  the  same  age. 

He  that  prays,  "  Lead  us  not  into  temptation !"  asks 
that  God  change  the  order  of  nature,  the  very  plan  of 
creation  ;  that  he  make  man  cease  to  be  a  man,  and 
change  him  either  into  an  angel  or  a  brute,  neither  of 
whom  knows  temptation,  and  is,  therefore,  also  incapable 
of  virtue. 

Let  us  understand  very  clearly  that  God  does  place 
temptation  in  our  path,  from  morning  until  evening, 
from  evening  until  morning,  from  youth  to  old  age,  from 
our  earliest  awakening  to  consciousness  till  the  last  si:)ark 
of  life  dies  out  within  us.  The  child  is  tempted  to  gratify 
its  sweet  tooth,  to  play  during  school-hours,  to  tell  false- 
hoods. The  youth  and  the  maiden  are  assailed  by 
temptation  in  a  different  form.  The  man  and  the  wo- 
man, in  the  strength  of  their  years,  are  likewise  tried, 
and  even  old  age  is  not  safe  from  folly,  i.  e.,  from  temp- 
tation. Prayer  is  here  of  no  avail.  "  Help  yourself!" 
is  the  admonition.  Every  j)rayer  with  such  an  object  in 
view  is  an  "  idle  prayer."  Resistance  to  temptation  con- 
stitutes the  moral  element  in  life,  and  lends  grace  to  man. 

Remember,  O  rich  man !  your  wealth  is  a  temptation 
to  luxury,  to  arrogance,  to  idleness.  A  temptation 
assails  you  in  the  method  of  gaining  riches,  and  in  the 
method  of  disposing  of  them.  Wealth  will  be  a  test 
as  to  whether  you  are  to  rule  money,  or  to  be  its  slave. 


LEAD  US  NOT  INTO  TEMPTATION.       137 

And  to  you,  poor  raan,  poverty  is  a  trial.  Prove  that 
a  great  soul  can  exist  in  an  humble  hut ;  that  you  can 
preserve  a  heart  pure  and  noble,  even  in  want. 

Beauty  is  likewise  a  temptation  to  its  possessor. 
Many  a  one,  in  the  consciousness  of  this  great  gift  of 
nature,  wastes  his  years  in  frivolity,  and  in  the  care  of 
the  beautiful  shell,  neglects  the  moral  kernel. 

Intellectual  power  is  no  less  a  temptation.  Fre- 
quently the  man  of  average  intellect  achieves  a  higher 
development  in  morality,  in  well-being,  in  usefulness, 
than  his  more  richly  endowed  brother,  whose  very 
genius  proves  his  ruin. 

Whatever  be  the  fortunes  of  your  life,  be  they  pleas- 
ant or  adverse,  say  to  yourself,  "  This  is  a  temptation. 
I  must  summon  up  all  my  strength  to  resist  it." 

Whoever  has  passed  a  difficult  examination  before 
strict  judges  knows  what  heart-felt  bliss  was  his,  when 
the  hours  of  anxiety  were  over.  A  like  blissful  feeling 
is  ours,  when  after  a  day  of  severe  trial,  our  conscience 
a.ssure8  us  that  we  have  come  forth  victorious  from 
honest  battle. 

In  connection  with  temptation,  one  need  not  think  of 
murder  and  homicide  and  other  capital  crimes.  Smsill 
are  the  temptations  which  glide;  througji  our  lives  like 
shadows.  They  constantly  surround  us,  jjoisoning  exist- 
ence with  their  stings,  in  our  business  activities,  in  our 
calling,  in  our  domestic  int'^^rcoursc,  in  our  IViendship, 
in  our  appetites,  in  the  use  of  our  tongues,  etc. 

Verily,  God  does  tempt  us.  Let  us  rememl)er  that  at 
all  times.  Ye.s,  he  tempts  us,  and  therefore  we  rank 
abov(!  the  brutes,  and,  if  we  resist,  abov(!  the  angels. 

In  this  point,  however,  we  nuist  not  imitate  God.    We 


138  SABBATH    HOURS. 

must  not  lead  a  man  into  temptation ;  we  must  not 
place  a  stone  in  the  path  of  the  blind.  When  man  deals 
thus  by  his  fellow-man,  he  is  not  tempting  him,  he  is 
leading  him  astray. 

If  you  fawn  on  the  base  man,  and  praise  the  sinner ; 
if  you  flatter  the  rich  and  powerful ;  if,  by  pomp  and 
show,  you  attract  attention  to  yourself,  and  give  occasion 
for  extravagant  imitation,  then  you  are  leading  your 
neighbor  into  temptation,  you  are  misleading  him. 


i 


■1 


CONFLICT  OF  DUTIES. 

Gen.  XXVII. 

Isaac  had  grown  old,  aud  he  felt  that  the  time  had 
come  for  setting  hi.s  earthly  affairs  in  order.  His  mo;<t 
j)recious  posse.s.<iou  was  the  blessing  which  he  had  re- 
ceived from  hi.s  father,  and  which,  in  turn,  he  intended 
to  transmit  to  his  first-born  and  favorite.  Out-witted  by 
liebecca,  he  laid  the  ble-ssing  upon  the  head  of  Jacob. 

The  memory  of  Rebecca  is  sacred  to  us.  She  is  one 
of  our  pious  mothers  in  Israel,  and  it  would  grieve  us 
.sorely  t(j  be  compelled  to  look  upon  her  in  an  unfavor- 
able light,  but  truth  and  the  virtue  of  truthfulness 
among  men  are  also  holy,  even  holier  than  the  mem- 
ory of  Rebecca.  In  what  light  nni.st  this  narrative  of 
tiie  Scriptures  be  regarded,  so  that  full  justice  may  be 
ihmc  to  truth,  without  detracting  from  the  character  of 
our  revered  Mother  Rebe<'ca? 

A  collision  is  one  of  the  incidents  of  life  that  .so  often 
nuike  existence  unpleasant;  frecpiently,  indeed,  involve 
lo.ssof  life,  riiysical  collisions,  in  which  two  bodies  conj- 
iiig  from  opposite  directions  strike  again.st  each  other, 
are  of  daily  occurrence.  Sometimes  there  i.s  even  danger 
that  our  j)lan(t  may  collide  with  a  comet  whirling  to- 
wards us  through  .Mpace.  There  is  another  kind  of 
encounter,  an  invisible  and  noiseless  one,  in  wlii<'h 
neither  bones  nor  muscles  sulH-r  injury,  but  which  is, 

139 


x40  SABBATH   HOURS. 

nevertheless,  quite  as  disastrous  in  its  effects.  Spirits 
come  into  conflict  with  each  other,  and  in  the  course  of 
the  struggle  temper  becomes  heated.  Clashing  interests 
meet  on  the  narrow  path  of  life,  and  obstinately  push 
on  with  diametrically  opposite  ends  in  view.  Ideals  of 
the  good,  the  true,  the  beautiful  are  dragged  down  into 
the  whirlpool  of  stern  realities  and  the  barren  prose  of 
life ;  as  when,  for  example,  the  young  wife,  with  her 
ideal  of  a  "  knight  without  reproach,"  and  the  young 
husband,  with  his  dream  of  fair  angels,  stand  before 
each  other  as  they  really  are — reality  seeming  to  mock 
pitilessly  at  the  images  created  by  fancy. 

The  moralist's  task  is  an  easy  one :  he  preaches  mod- 
eration and  self-restraint.  There  is,  however,  still  an- 
other sort  of  conflict,  in  which  even  moderation  and  the 
extreme  of  self-control  are  inefiectual ;  that  is,  when 
there  is  a  conflict  of  duties. 

Two  conflicting  duties,  of  which  the  one  can  be  per- 
formed only  at  the  expense  of  the  other,  may  claim  our 
attention  at  the  same  time. 

Let  us  make  this  proposition  clearer  by  some  exam- 
ples. 

A  married  couple  may  have  the  choice  between  peace 
and  amity  in  their  own  home,  on  the  one  side,  and  the 
preservation  of  friendly  relations  with  parents,  who  may 
be  hostile  towards  one  of  them,  on  the  other.  An  Israelite 
may  have  to  decide  between  living  strictly  according  to 
the  dictates  of  his  conscience,  and  his  and  his  family's 
temporal  welfare,  or  their  very  existence.  It  may  hap- 
pen that  in  fulfilling  the  duty  of  self-preservation,  we 
are  forced  to  act  in  violati(jn  of  the  demands  of  love  of 
country  and  of  our  fellow-man.     The  elder  Brutus  acted 


CONFLICT   OF    DUTIES.  141 

as  judge  in  the  case  against  his  son,  who  had  been  guilty 
of  treason  towards  Konio.  Here,  there  was  a  conflict 
between  the  father  and  the  judge  in  one  person.  The 
younger  Brutus,  one  of  the  murderers  of  Csesar,  liis 
friend  and  benefactor,  had  to  decide  between  the  duty 
of  gratitude,  on  the  one  side,  and  his  duty  towards  the 
community,  on  the  other. 

We,  too,  in  our  days,  may  have  to  choose  between 
raspeet  for  the  written  hiw  of  the  land,  and  regard  for 
the  higher  law^ — the  eternal  one — of  reason  and  morality. 

Our  revered  ^lother  Rebecca  found  herself  in  a 
similar  position. 

~~^  Happy  the  woman  that  can  look  up  to  her  mate  as  to 
her  superior,  the  director  of  the  household,  the  guide 
and  tcaclicr  of  her  children  !  Unenviable  is  the  lot  of 
her  who  has  to  direct  without  assistance  the  affairs  of 
the  household,  and  the  training  of  the  little  ones.  The 
strong  women  are  not  the  hap})iest  women.  S(j  unenvi- 
able a  lot  was  Rebecca's ;  she  had  to  bear  Isaac's  share  of 
life's  burdens  as  well  as  her  own. 

Isaac  exercised  blind  authority  in  the  household, 
worse  for  Rel)ecca  than  if  there  had  been  no  one  but 
herself  to  appeal  to.  As  it  wji.><,  Lis  [)ower  was  but  a 
useless  and  disturbing  element.  She  knew  well  the 
wild,  untamc(l  nature  of  her  older  son,  and  could  pic- 
ture to  licr.-cir  his  wrctcliiil  riitmc.  And  to  iiini  his 
father  was  willing  to  entrust  the  traditional  blessing  of 
the  family  and  the  welfan;  of  future  generations! 

The  children  of  our  day  also  prize  highly  the  blessing 
of  their  parents,  but  not  so  much  from  a  belief  in  its 
efficacy,  as  from  a  feeling  of  reverence  for  their  parents, 
and  for  the  assurance  it  gives  them  that  they  have  per- 


142  SABBATH   HOURS. 

"^^formed  their  duty  to  their  loved  ones,  and  have  given 
them  pleasure.  4  In  ancient  times,  imiw^Ter,  a  blessing 
from  the  mouth  of  the  father  was  God's  voice.  #  The 
blessing  hand  of  the  father  was  the  hand  of  fate^  and " 

■■''^»  Isaac  was  going  to  err  so  far  as  to  lay  his  hand  upon 
Esau's  head  ]f  Was  it  not  clearly  the  mother's  duty  to 
interfere  ?  T*ul^V-&LL'ii>-^*^'***~^*^*-<i^y>  but  she  was  also 
under  a  moral  obligation  towards  the  infirm  and  blind 
old  man^  Was  it  proper  to  distress  tlie  unhappy,  aged 
father  ?  Would  it  be  right  for  her  to  o})en  his  eyes  to 
the  trife  character,  the  unworthiness  of  his  favorite,  his 
first-born  ?   (There   was   no   hope   of  amelioration,  _for) 

""**^ Jacob  ana  Esau  were  no  longer  children.*^ Esau  was  a 
married  man.  Indeed,  according  to  the  reckoning  of 
the  Bible,  the  brothers  must  have  been  sixty  or  seventy 
years  old  at  the  time.  The  truth  would  have  broken 
Isaac's  heart  J/ it  is  even  questional)le  whether  he  could 
have  been  brouglit  to  look  upon  it  as  the  truth.^  Men,'* 

"" — otherwise  extremely  sharp-sighted,  are  frequently  af- 
flicted with  an  incurable  blindness  to  the  qualities  of 
their  own  sons.  ^  In  this  case,  then,  there  was  a  struggle 
between  conflicting  duties.  /  At  the  expense  of  truth, 
Rebecca  secured  the  fiUher's  blessing  to  the  proper 
person,    j 

/"^l  am  far  from  believing  that  we  should  set  up  as 
/a  rule  always  to  be  followed,  when  the  straight  path 
does  not  lead  to  the  good  end,  choose  the  crooked  one ; 
if  unalloyed  truth  has  no  prospect  of  gaining  a  victory, 
choose  equivocation  and  cunning.  In  such  cases,  every 
one  must  be  a  law-giver  unto  himself;  in  the  struggles  of 
conscience,  he  must  he  his  own  adviser. 

Make  this  a  rule  of  life,  build  your  philosophy  of  life 


CONFLICT  OF   DUTIES.  143 

upon  it  lus  a  fundamental  principle,  "  I  will  ])e  true  in 
thought,  speech  and  action.  I  will  allow  nothing  to 
cloud  the  honesty  of  my  words  and  deeds."  But  do 
not  lose  sight  of  the  fact  that  we  dare  not  fulfil  even  our 
duty  without  testing  the  wisdom  of  our  course. 

In  over-zealous  and  one-sided  practice  of  duty,  in 
unswerving  attention  to  the  behests  of  stern  conscien- 
tiousness, we  may,  perhaps,  be  treading  a  path  of  duty 
that  is  paved  with  sin,  with  disregard  of  other  duties. 
Our  sages  call  this  attaining  a  desirable  end  on  the  path 
of  sin. 

Test  the  worth  of  everything — even  of  the  virtue  of 
truthfulness,  the  very  corner-stone  of  all  the  virtues. 
ICxamine  everything  in  the  light  of  place,  time  and  cir- 
cumstances. In  your  criticism  of  your  fellow-man,  be 
not  too  ready  to  stigmatize  every  neglect  of  duty  as 
absolutely  bad.  Remember,  there  is  frequently  a  con- 
flict <jf  duties,  in  which  the  one  must  be  subordinated  to 
tlie  importance  of  the  other.  Perchance,  the  neglect  of 
the  duty  apparent  to  you  may  be  the  price  ])aid  for  per- 
forming another  — a  more  imi)ortant — obligation,  of 
whose  e.xistcnce  you  are  entirely  unaware. 

Let  every  good  mother  give  thanks  to  her  (  n  ator,  if 
her  household  is  .so  constituted  that  she  stands  before  her 
spou.se  and  her  children  as  a  pattern  of  stiict  Irutlifiil- 
ness  and  uprightnciw.  Should  a  inolhcr,  huwcvcr,  I){'Iiev(^ 
that  lier  position  retpiires  her  to  follow  the  path  of  dupli- 
citv,  then  may  the  reasons  for  her  action  be  of  so  urgent 
and  holv  a  nature,  as  wr-re  those  of-<(ur  revered  Mother 
Rebecca,  blessed  be  her  memory! 


TEMPERAMENT. 

Gen.  XXVII  :  41. 

"  Esau  said  in  his  heart,  The  days  of  mourning  for 
my  father  will  be  at  hand  y  then  will  I  slay  my  brother 
Jacob."  rCommenting  upon  this  phrase  in  the  Scrip- 
tures^our  sages  say, ,"  Esau  spoke  *'/(  (0*73)  his  heart ; 
thus  all  evil  men  speak  and  do.  We  read  in  the  Psalms, 
-'  The  fool  says  in  his  heart,yJeroboam  spoke  in  his 
heart,  Haman  spoke  in  his  heart,  f  They  are  all  gov- 
erned by  their  hearts,^  while  good  men  control  their 
feelings  ;  therefore,  it  is  said  '  Hannah  spoke  to  (literally 
on,  n^Vbi')  her  heart,'  '  David  spoke  to  his  heart,'  and 
thus  also  did  Daniel  express  himself,  imitating  their 
Creator ;  for  the  Bible  says,  *  God  spoke  unto  his  heart.'  "0 
-  God,  the  Creator,  alone  has  power  to  create  jl  man 
can  merely  modify  what  has  been  given  him,  using  it  for 
good  or  evil  purposes,  ^ts  it  is  not  in  his  power  to  create,  /f 
so  also  he  is  unable  to  annihilate  anything  existing 
according  to  nature's  laws. ,  He  may  work  havoc  and 
ruin,^  he  may  be  the  author  of  unspeakable  evil,j  but 
annihilation  is  beyond  his  power  A 

Man  is  born  with  a  certain  disposition,  which  fre- 
quently proves  a  most  troublesome  factor  in  his  educa- 
tion, both  at  home  and  at  school.  A  man's  nature  is 
the  work  of  creation,  and  cannot  be  destroyed.  Educa- 
tion, therefore,  must  not  seek  to  stifle  nature,  but  rather 

144 


TEMPERAMENT.  145 

attempt  to  develop  it  into  character.  Jacob  and  Esau 
form  a  case  in  point.  Tiiey  were  endowed,  by  nature, 
with  different  dispositions — ^^e  children  struggled 
within"  Rebeka^t  Jacob  was,  by  nature,  a  cool,  de- 
liberate thinker. ,  Esau  was  wild  and  excitable^  guided 
by  impulse  in  his  good  deeds  as  well  as  in  his  evil  ones^ 
Their  widely  different  qualities  were  revealed  in  their 
choice  of  a  vocation,  t  Jacob's  quiet  shrewdness  inclined 
him  to  cattle-raising  ;y  his  brother's  wild  courage  selected 
the  bow  and  arrow  as  a  means  of  obtaining  a  livelihood.  ^ 
Esau  is  described  to  us  as  comin^honie  from  a  hunt, 
excited  and  very  much  fatigued./^Surcly,  the  paternal 
larder,  his  mother's  kitchen,  mif^  have  supplied  him 
with  food,  had  he  but  asked  for  iL^  However,  with  the 
impatience,  characteristic  of  such  a  nature,  he  insists 
upon  eating  the  meal  prepared  for  his  brother.  /  For  this 
privilege,  he  resigns  his  birthriglit.  (  He  eats  and  drinks, 
laughing  all  the  wliile ;,  he  had  satisfied  his  heart's  desire  /t 
— the  desire  of  his  ma.ster,  for  his  heart  controlled  liiin 

^completely .14  But  when  his  father^ although  ignorant  of 
the  compact  Ijetween  the  brotliers,  bestowed  the  blessing 
of  the  first-born  upon  Jacob,,  then  Esau's  luuut  was 
heavy,Qind  his  lament  over  the  loss  of  his  privileges  was 
commensurate  with  his  animal  spints  upon  resigning 
them  to  his  brothenJ  He  comi)lained  that  Jacob  had 

, cheated  him  out  of"^3  birthright.  »  Ami  in  liis  heart  he 
saifl,  i' Tlie  days  of  mourning  for  my  father  will  be  at 
hand;  then  will  I  slay  my  brother  Jacob."  ]{",  how--^ 
ever,  the  blessing  under  discussion  was  worth  a  eonUst, 
Esau  ought  to  have  considered  that  it  would  eflec^tually 
shield  Jacob  from  any  evil  tiiat  he  niiudit  plot  against 
him  -f  but  by  virtue  of  his  temperament,  he  lay  at  the 
u 


146  SABBATH    HOURS. 

mercy  of  his  feelings.|  Again,  we  are  told  that  his  choice 
of  wives  grievously  embittered  the  life  of  his  parents. | 
'  His  unfortunate  choice  was  the  act  ofhis  wild  feelings, 
entirely   uncontrolled    by    reason.  ^The    teachings  of 
morality,  the  suggestions  of  prudence,  consideration  for 
the  feelings  of  his  parents  counted  as  nothing  against 
the   wild   tumult   in   his  heart.     In   one   of  his   good 
moments  his  heart  was   moved  by  the   sorrow  of  his 
parents,  and  he  added  a  third  wife  to  the  two  so  dis- 
pleasing to  them.     Finally,  he  is  pictured  to  us  nursing 
in    his    heart    wrath,   which   has    been    accumulating 
through  twenty-two  years  of  separation,  and,  with  four 
hundred  men  at  his  back,  moving  towards  his  brother, 
whose  blood  he  is  bent  upon  shedding.     Instead,  tears 
of  emotion  flow  in  profusion.     He  kisses  and  embraces 
his  brother,  lying  upon  the  heart  that  he  had  purposed 
to  pierce  with  his  steel,  and  speaking  to  Jacob  in  the 
soft,  loving  tones  proper  to  brotherly  intercourse.    Here,  ^ 
again,  he  acted  as  his  heart  promjjted  him.     He  was 
completely  under  the   control   of  his  heart.      In   one 
moment,  the  venomous  poison  ^fhatred  within  him  was 
transformed  into  the  wine  of  love^ 
V  In  Jacob's  life,  on  the  other  hand,  we  find  evidences 
of  thoughtful  deliberation  rather  than  of  rash  impulse,  v 
^\    Jacob  does  not  speak  in  his  heart  ^  he  speaks  to  his 
heart;  he  is  master  of  his  heart,  not  its  slave.  ^  These 
children,  so  entirely  different  in  temperament,  were  the 
offspring  of  the  same  house,  of  the  same  father  and 
mother  i  even  more  than  this,  they  were  twins.  \  What  a 
sad  picture  of  family  life  is  here  presented  to  us ! »  One 
^^of  these  sons  is  compelled  to  flee  the  paternal  roof  in 
secret,  so  destitute  of  means  that  he  bears  with  him 


TEMPERAMENT.  147 

nauirht  but  the  staff  in  liis  haud^and  is  forced  to  spend 
a  night  under  the  open  sky.  ^  The  other  remains  at  home, 
"^t-vaxiauee  with  his  mother,  and  nursing  thoughts  of 
murder  in  his  lieart.  |  Can  the  parents  be  blamed  for 
their  own  and  their  children's  unhappiness  ?*  Esau's 
tomiK-rameut  was  ever  the  same  from  l^irth  ^  so,  too, 
Jacob's.  I  Esau's  mother  could  make  no  peaceful  sliep- 
herd  of  him,  ^  nor  could  Jacob's  father  train  him  to 
be  a  bold,  reckless  hunter.  |  !Man  cannot  annihilate. 
He  can  merely  mould  and  modify  natural  endowments,  j 
[Disagreeable ~as  may  be ~the  consequences  which  they 
entail  upon  us  throughout  life,  they  cannot  be  suppressed 
or  destroyed.  |  Those  traits  of  Esau's  nature,  which  were 
especially  objectionable  to  his  mother,  slie  mistook  for 
malice,  and  licr  heart  turned  against  him.  She  thought 
that  E.sau  lacked  but  the  will  to  be  like  Jacob.  Isaac, 
again,  considered  the  qualities  displeasing  to  liiin  in 
Jafol)  as  unmanly  and  deceitful  cunning,  ami  his  love 
fur  his  son  gradually  cooled.  "  Why  is  he  not  like 
Esau?"  he  lusked.  The  divergent  opinions  about  Jacob 
and  E<an,  held  by  their  parents,  are  still  current  in  tlie 
world.  I'ious  Judaism  loves  Jac(»b,  and  iiates  Esau. 
The  best  pos.sil)le  construction  is  ])ut  upon  Jacob's 
actions,  while  Esau  is  denied  all  good  <|iialitics.  An- 
other cla^s  of  liible  readers,  again,  sliows  a  decided 
preference  for  Esau;  they  attribute  to  liiiu  knightly 
(pialities,  while  in  Jacob,  they  see  an  arti"ul  knave,  want- 
ing in  brotlicrly  feeling.  Both  the  parents  and  the 
critics  of  the  brothers  take  it  for  granted  lliat  all  human 
beings,  if  such  be  their  will,  can  j)attern  tlicmselvcs  or 
be  patterned  after  the  same  model  of  virtue.  And  wlicn 
Esau  fails  to  be  like  Jacob,  sus  it  wjis  his  mother's  desire 


148  SABBATH   HOURS. 

he  should  be,  or  Jacob,  in  growing  up  to  be  unlike  Esau, 
does  not  meet  with  his  father's  wish,  the  boys'  will 
is  declared  to  be  at  faulU)  Had  Esau  made  the  greatest 
effort  to  please  his  mother,|or  had  Jacob  done  all  in  his 
power  to  comply  with  his  father's  wish,^ neither  coulc 
have  been  successful ;  Esau  could  not  have  made  a 
Jacob  of  himselfj.  nor  Jacob  an  Esau.  ^  Their  naturesT"^ 
were  different,,  and  natural  inclination  cannot  be  de- 
stroyed. I  Such  is  the  experience  of  parents  with  several  , 
children,  and  of  teachers  to  whose  care  a  whole  school 
is  entrusted.  (^  Children  cannot  all  be  modelled  after  the 
same  pattern  -^  both  parents  and  teachers  must  take  dis- 
position into  account  in  their  work  of  education,  f  Not 
that  nature  is  to  be  allowed  to  pursue  its  course  un- 
checked, any  more  than  it  should  be  forcibly  suppressed  ! 
By  means  of  education,  disposition  ought  to  be  elevated 
into  character ;  it  should  be  placed  on  a  foundation  of 
morality,  so  that  man  may  not  be  the  slave  of  his  emo- 
tions, but  that  his  potions  may  be  subordinate  to  him 
and  his  intelligenceTy 

-^  The  educator's  most  difficult  task  is  to  find  the  method 
appropriate  to  the  nature  of  each  child  in  a  home  or  a 
school^and  to  apply  it  so  skilfully  that  the  children  may 
not  notice  tlic  differences  in  their  education.  *  The  prob- 
lem is  so  difficult  that  we  parents  ought  not  to  be  too 
severely  censured  if  we  fail  to  solve  it  perfectly  in  the 
training  of  each  of  our  children.  \  Were  not  Isaac  and 
Rebecca  unsuccessful  in  their  efforts?  It  is  true,  we 
can  see  a  special  reason  for  their  failure,  t  The  parents, 
themselves,  were  not  at  one  in  the  education  of  their 
children.  ^  Under  these  circumstances,  Esau's  untamed 
savagery  and  Jacob's  artfulness  are  in   nowise  remarka- 


\ 


TEMPERAMENT.  149 


ble,^  Jacob  leaned  toward  his  mother^  while  Esau  was 
more  attached  to  his  father,  t  Miserable  discord  ensues 
when  the  two  guides  do  not  confront  the  children  as  one 
being,  one  thought,  one  heart  and  one  head  ^  when  appeal 
is  made  to  the  one  from  the  other  ^  when  children  use  one 
parent  as  a  shield  against  the  other;*, when  the  one 
smiles,  while  the  other  storms;^  the  one  permits  what  the 
other  prohibits ;  the  one  assents,  and  the  other  refuses  > 
(or,  even  when  the  opposition  of  the  one  side  to  the  activ- 
ity of  the  other  be  but  negative)  » 

Let  us  parents  mark  well  the  dreadful  words  of  the 
son,  whom  his  father  had  spoilt  and  his  mother  did  not 
love  because  of  his  disposition :/  "  When  the  days  of 
mourning  for  my  father  come,  then  will  I  slay  my 
brother  Jacob. "^  Let  us  so  train  ourselves  and  our  chil- 
dren that  they  may  not,  like  Esau,  like  Jeroboam,  like 
Ilaman,  speak  in  their  hearts,  the  seat  of  unbridled 
nature^  but  to  their  hearts,  like  Hannah,  like  Job,  like 
Daniel,  like  God  himself,  according  to  the  words  of  the 
Scriptures,  which  read,  "And  the  Lord  spoke  unto  his 
heart." 


DOES   MAN    NATURALLY    IMPROVE 
WITH   AGE? 


Gen.  XXX  J. 


What  a  contrast  the  picture  of  Jacob's  departure  from 
the  home  of  his  childhood,  drawn  for  us  at  the  beginning 
of  the  portion,  presents  to  the  scene  depicted  at  the  end, 
the  description  of  his  home-coming,  the  subject  of  our 
Biblical  selection  this  morning ! 

In  the  account  of  Jacob's  departure  from  the  paternal 
roof,  a  fugitive,  bearing  with  him  naught  but  the  stulf 

— >^  in  his  hand^  we  read  that  when  night  overtook  him  on 
his  journey,  he  laid  him  down  under  the  open  sky,  and 
slept  the  sweet  sleep  of  youth.  -  Twenty  years  latePr-J(\  'J    ; 
grown  to  be  a  rich  man,  he  complains  "  sleep  has  de- 
parted  from  my  eyes."i    Upon  leaving  home,  he  dreamt   — 

vij  of  angels,  of  a  ladder  connecting  heaven  and  earth,  of 

God  standing  beside  him.  >  Twenty  years  later,  upon  re-z:>-U  • 
turning  to  the  home  of  his  youth,  he  dreams  of  his  flocks 
of  rams  and  goats. ,  At  the  beginning  of  his  journey,  he 
declared  himself  satisfied  with  "  bread  to  eat,  and  rai- 
ment to  put  on, 'J  and  these  things  were  given  him  in 
abundance  as  the  fruit  of  his  labor.  •  Now,  however,  he 
IB  no  longer  content  with  these  simple  blessings.,  He 
says,  'no*?  "djn-d:  nu';rx  'no  "  I  must  also  provide  for  the 
future  of  my  house." 

Having  become  an  inmate  of  his  uncle's  house,  he 

150 


:n 


D 


DOES   MAX    NATURALLY    IMPROVE   WITH  AGE?   151 

makes  light  of  serving  seven  years  twice  over  in  order 
to  gain  the  beloved  of  his  heart.  This  same  man,  of  ~ 
warm  feeling  and  poetical  imagination,  we  see,  in  the 
Biblical  narrative  read  this  imaEFng,  grown  twenty 
years  older,  and  in  the  very  prosaic  situation  of  contem- 
plating a  stroke  of  business,  accomplishing  his  end  by 
the  device  of  the  ring-streaked  rods ! 

In  presenting  so  sharp  a  contrast  between  youth  and 
old  age,  Jacol)'s  life  is  not  anomalou*<,4t  merely  illustrates 
the  natural  development  of  a  man  in  the  course  of  years  > 
it  accentuates  the  difference  between  the  sentiments  of  the  - 
young  and  of  the  old  \  idealism  in  youth,  the  practical 
side  of  man's  nature  developing  w'ith  increasing  years  •,^  • 
U)oetry  at  life's  entrance,  prose  constantly  growing  more 
prosaic  at  the  other  end  of  our  earthly  existence^  in 
youth,  self-sacrifice,  generosity,  living  and  expending  for 
tlie  plea.sure  of  the  moment^  weaving  rosy  dreams  of  the 
morrow^as  the  years  go  by, , selfishness  and  calculation, 
distrtist  of  the  future.^  Tlie  belief  iserroucous  that  man 
—natnralhj  grows  better  with  years  j  that  the  spirit  ap- 
.  proachcs  nearer  a  state  of  ])erfection  ;  tliat  man  dies  bet- 
ter than  he  was  wlien  born.  *  Every  nian  grows  more 
knoii'itn/  with  age;  his  intellect  expands;  he  becomes 
richer  in  experience^  tlie  necessity  of  a(la[)ting  himself 
to  existing  circumstances  grows  ever  more  urgent  ;(y 
through  practice,  he  becomes  more  and  more  an  adept  at 
dealing  with  persons  'aiuT^lTPiiti n^iVien  according  to 
their  natures.  *  Even  though  he  grow  no  wiser,  prudence 
comes  to  every  man  with  increasing  years,  but  he  does 
not  inevitably  grow  better  with  time;  by  a  natural 
development,  indeed,  he  changes  for  the  worse. 

If  impulsive  youth  commits  ii  folly,  if  a  young  heart 


152  SABBATH  HOURS. 

loves  rather  too  Avell  than  wisely,  we  may  always  plead 
youth  iu  extenuation  of  the  fault ;  the  Gerftmn  saying, 
\\f\]  with  years  alone  comes  sense,  may  serve  to  assure  us 
that  all  Avill  yet  be  well,  i  If,  on  the  contrary,  the  con- 
duct of  a  young  man  be  cruel,  heartless,  uncharitable, 

(uttclmtilrous,  -avaricious^  envious  and  spiteful — then, 
indeed,  it  is  useless  to  seek  comfort  in  the  thought, 
"  These  faults  will  disappear  in  time  ffuiis,  is  the  way  of 
youth."  No ;  it  is  not  so!)  These  qualities  will  only 
*-^  become  more  and  more  marked  with  increasing  yearsj* 
An  evil-hearted  youth  will  surely  develop  into  a  still 
more  evil-hearted  man.  .  Age  never  corrects  faults  of 
the  heart.  •  If  man  desires  to  be  good  and  constantly  to 
grow  better — and  such  both  ought  to  and  can  be  his 
aim-;-he  must  seek  earnestly  to  preserve  in  age  the  treas- 
ure of  his  youth,^the  good  impulses  of  his  heart.^  The 
root  of  all  the  good  and  noble  qualities  of  the  heart  lies 
in  our  youth,  i  It  is  the  privilege  of  age  to  nourish  this 
root,  to  make  it  send  forth  strong  and  enduring  shoots^, 

TTherefore,  there  is  no  religion  of  reason. ,  Keasou  can) 
rely  on  itself  for  support  ^  the  heart,  on  the  other  hand, 
craves  the  help  of  religion.,  Religion  appeals  to  the 
heart  alone*^  Its  office  it  is  to  guard  and  foster  the  emo- 
tions of  the  heart,  so  that  the  innate  love  of  the  good 
may  not  Avither  through  neglect.  /  Religion  cannot  wi- 
jdant  good  in  the  hearty  but  it  can  rouse  and  stimulate 
•*^the  good  already  in  existence.  ^  It  can  fan  the  spark  of 
nobility  into  a  flame.  ^  It  may  guard  against  evil  influ- 
ences,^ and  so,  with  advancing  years,  the  heart  may  grow 
purer  and  better. 

^-^.Smce,  as  far  as  qualities  of  the  heart  are  concerned, 
youth  is  naturally  better  than  age^  since  the  child  has  a 


DOES    MAX    NATURALLY    IMPROVE   WITH   AGE?    15S 

more  tender  heart  than  the  old  man,|the  rational  train- 
ing of  children,  the  training  that  will  make  good  men 
■  and  women  of  them,  does  not  consist  in  teaching  many 
maxims  of  morality,,  but  in  exercising  strenuous  care  to 
keep  baneful  influences  at  a  distance. ,  Parents  and-, 
teachers  must  be  untiringly  vigilant  over  their  own 
actions,  lest  they  thoughtlessly  reveal  weaknesses,  which 
cannot  fail  to  produce  an  effect  like  blighting  mildew 
upon  the  heart  of  the  child.  ^Ihe  harm  thus  done  can 
scarcely  be  made  good  by  subsequent  preaching  and 
moralizing,  by  reproof  and  punishment^  If  parents 
take  great  pride  and  pleasure  in  the  j>feeeeidtts  clever- 
ness of  their  children,  they  mayi  by  stimulating  their 
activitics,.by  conversation  and  discussion,  aid  such  early 
development.  It  is,  however,  questionable  whether  the 
intellect  thus  reaps  permanent  good  results.,  He  Avho 
arises  too  earlv  feels  worn  out  when  the  strentrth  of  him 
who  has  enjoyed  sufficient  rest  is  at  its  height.}  But  as 
far  as  the  qualities  of  the  heart  are  concerned,  an  early 
development  of  cleverness  is  certainly  harmful.  Let 
the  children  be  childlike  as  long  as  they  are  children 
in  years.  Feed  them  on  worldly  wisdom  with  a  .spoon  ; 
do  not  overwhelm  them  with  it  by  the  bucketful.  Do 
not  ha.-?ten  to  make  gentlemen  of  your  boys,  and  ladies 
of  your  girls  scarcely  out  of  the  cradle.  Do  not  lay 
upon  them  too  soon  the  yoke  of  etiquette,  and  still  less, 
the  harness  of  trade.  An  hour  spent  in  play  is  much 
more  eifective  in  developing  mind  and  body,  as  well  as 
in  fostering  the  pure  and  natural  content  of  childhood, 
than  all  show  and  (incry,  thsin  jirecocious  chatter  and 
worldly  wisd<Mii.  The  fermenting  juice  must  be  allowed 
to  rest,  if  good  wine  is  to  be  made  of  it.     Unspoilt  cliil- 


164  SABBATH   HOURS. 

dren  are  easily  satisfied,  and  need  but  little  for  their 
sum  of  happiness — like  Jacob,  in  the  days  of  his  youth, 
raiment  to  put  on,  enough  to  eat  to  satisfy  hunger,  and 
the  enjoyment  of  the  dream  of  life  by  indulging  in 
sport  and  gaiety.i  Children,  clad  in  magnificent  gar- 
ments, and  decked  with  jewels  are  not  only  hindered  in 
their  childish  games  by  a  regard  for  their  fine  clothes, 
but  when  they  arrive  at  the  period  of  self- consciousness, 
they  do  not  dream  of  angels  passing  to  and  from  heaven ; 
their  unchildlike  visions  are  of  show  and  vain  display. 

At  length,  whatever  we  may  do,  arrives  the  time  in 
the  life  of  every  individual,  just  as  it  came  in  Jacob's 
life,  when  a  serious  question  presents  itself  for  solution  : 
"  I  must  provide  for  my  future  and  the  future  of  my 
house."  Idealism,  generosity  and  lovely  dreams  of 
angels  cannot  found  a  house,  neither  will  they  alone 
enable  a  man  to  preside  over  it  houoralily.  Sagacity 
must  be  quickened  and  brought  into  action  ;  but  in  the 
struggle,  hold  fast  to  your  childlike  nature.  Do  not 
degenerate  into  a  soulless  threshing-machine,  busied  only 
with  gathering  the  grain.  In  the  midst  of  labor,  pre- 
serve a  cheerful  spirit ;  let  tender  feeling  exist  side  by 
side  with  sharpness  of  insight ;  in  careful  and  minute 
investigation  and  research,  keep  your  childlike  faith  in 
God  and  his  Providence.  A  forward,  worldly-wise  child 
is  not  an  agreeable  phenomenon,  but  the  sight  of  a  man, 
hoary  of  head,  yet  young  in  heart,  is  most  pleasing ;  an 
old  head  above  a  heart  beating  with  youthful  enthusiasm, 
a  grave,  hard-working  man,  occupied  with  the  sober 
cares  of  business,  who,  when  he  dreams,  unlike  Jacob 
in  his  prosaic,  old  age,  is  not  visited  by  visions  of  flocks 
and  herds,  but  still  beholds  heavenly  apparitions  steal- 
ing about  his  couch. 


HUMILITY. 

Gen.  XXXII,  XXXUI. 

Filled  with  dread  and  anxiety,  Jacob  journeyed  to- 
wards his  home.  It  was  no  idle,  spectral  fear  that 
made  him  tremble.  Esau  was  moving  towards  him  with 
four  hundred  men.  For  twenty  long  years  had  anger 
been  ])oiling  in  Esau's  bosom,  wrath  gnawing  at  his 
heart-strings.  At  last,  the  hour  was  at  hand,  when  he 
might  i)luck  the  sweet  fruit  of  revenge.  What  means 
did  Jacob  ad(jpt  for  his  protection?  Our  sages  include 
them  in  three  words  non^oi  nStJn  ])-))!  gifts,  prayer  and 

-  -  war.  J  First,  he  sought  to  allay  his  brother's  wrath 
with  gifii,  then  he  turned  to  God  iu  prai/cr,  and  finally 
he  prepared  himself  for  the  worst  by  getting  ready  for 

— ■  combat.  ^  Esau,  however,  with  knightly  courtesy,  refused 
the  gift;  matters  did  not  come  to  such  a  pass  that  it 
was  necessary  to  figlit;/and  whether  to  prayer  is  to  be 
attril)uted  the  favorable  outcome  of  the  meeting,  God 
alone  can  knoww  In  the  ordinary  course  of  events,  (iod 
hel])8  man  by  giving  him  strength  to  help  liimself. 
-  Jacob,  surely,  held  this  belit  I",  or  he  woiiM  liavc  Ix'cn 
satisfied  to  pray,  and  woiiM  not  haver  sought  <»thcr  means 
of  rescue  as  well.  What  was  it,  however,  that  cooled 
Esau's  burning  wrath  ?  ^^'hat  changed  his  bloody  in- 
tentions so  suddenly  into  kind,  fraternal  feelingH?  It 
was  the  friendly  word,  tlie  frat<'rnal  tone  and  the  humble 

15") 


156  SABBATH   HOURS. 

api)roach  of  liis  brother.^  The  warmth  of  Jacob's  greet- 
ings, his  modest  speech  had  already  thawed  slightly  the 
ice-crust  about  the  heart  of  his  wrathful  brother.,  When, 
however,  the  brother  upon  whom  his  father  had  laid  the 
blessing  of  the  head  of  the  family,  came  into  his  pres- 
ence, bowing  himself  to  the  earth  seven  times,  then  the 
icy  crust  gave  way,  all  the  brotherly  feeling,  so  long 
repressed,  rushed  forth. ^/ CJifts,  it  is  true,  are  a  mighty 
lever.  Gifts  can  buy  worthless  rabble  without  limit, 
and  even  win  the  sympathy  of  better  men.  -  A  gift  to 
--  the  needy  is  a  true  kindness,  and  to  the  rich,  it  is  a 
pleasant  mark  of  esteem.  /  Combat  and  bravery  subdue 
cities  and  countries,/  found  states  and  kingdoms,  and 
strike  down  those  that  neither  bend  nor  yield.  But 
more  effective  than  the  richest  gift,  more  agreeable  to 
the  spirit  than  the  finest  offering,  more  powerful  than 
the  strongest  arm,  more  victorious  than  steel-clad  valor, 
is  the  soft  tongue,  the  mild  speech,  the  well-chosen  word.  / 
He  that  humbles  himself  conquers  him  before  whom  he 
kneels.  -  The  meek  one  himself  becomes  the  victor. 

—  Esau,  the  man  of  the  sword,  the  experienced  warrior, 
skilled  in  arms,  rushes  forward  with  four  hundred  con- 
federates at  his  back,  who  merely  await  his  signal  to 
draw  their  blades,  and  speed  their  arrows.  ;  A  helpless 

-  shepherd  approaches,  followed  by  trembling  women  and 
children.  The  shepherd,  however,  bows  himself  to  the 
earth  seven  times,  and  the  weapons  fall  to  the  ground ; 

^  a  brother  lies   locked   in  a  brother's  tender  embrace.*- 
The  weak   shepherd   was  the   conqueror ;  the   mighty 
Esau,  the  vanquished  one.     Seven  obeisances  had  sent 
four  hundred  and  one  swords  back  into  their  sheaths. 

-    A  heavy  burden  fell  from  the  heart  of  Jacob  ;  moun- 


HUMILITY.  157 

tains  of  oppressive  care  were  removed  from  the  sijirits 
of  his  beloved  ones.  The  blackness  of  night  was 
changed  into  laughing  sunlight.  On  the  part  of  Esau, 
the  viper  of  anger,  the  serpent  of  hatred,  the  hyena  of 
revenge,  which  had  gnawed  incessantly  at  his  heart,  and 
torn  his  very  entrails,  were  suddenly  transformed  into 
dove-like  tenderness  and  the  patience  of  a  lamb.  He 
had  set  out  on  this  expedition  with  murderous  intent, 
and  he  retraced  his  steps,  a  kind  and  loving  brother.^ 

—  AVliat  magical  power  had  wrought  this  wonderful  and 
rapid  change  ?  AVhat  is  the  name  of  the  talisman  ? 
Humility  !  This  is  the  magic  spell ! 
''^Tt  is  eighty  years  since  our  own  Benjamin  Franklin^  \ 
'  recommended  this  talisman  to  youth  as  a  means  to  sue- 
cess.  It  is  four  thousand  years  since  Jacob  tested  its 
power. 

^  I  well  know  that  this  Israelitish  method  of  stooping 
in  order  to  avoid  a  blow  is  entirely  out  of  harmony 
with  Hellenic  or  Teutonic  ideas.  Greeks,  Romans  and 
Teutons  alike  look  with  contempt  upon  tbe  bowed  head 
of  humility.  To  bow  seven  times  is  a  sevenfold  mani- 
festation ol"  c<jwardice  and  servility.  According  to  ihv'w 
conception  of  honor,  Jacob  and  liis  followers  should 
have  met  violence  with  violence,  lliid  he  fallen  in  the 
encounter,  and  had  his  whole;  family  perished  from  the 
earth,  they  would  have  erected  :i  nioiuimoiit  to  his 
memory,  th(.'ir  poets  would  have  c(!lebrated  him  in 
inmiortal  songs.  However,  we  are  not  teaching  thi' 
morality  of  the  Romans,  the  Clreeks  and  the  (iernianO 

^^"-4»h4  ]jiblieal,4wHH4ftrt>h  elhies,  whirh  enlls  to  ns,  "Hide 

— ^tliyself  for  but  a  little  moment,  until  the  indignation  be 

passed  away !"  f  What  would  have  become  of  Israel,  if. 


158  SABBATH   HOURS. 

instead  of  provin<r  itself  buoyant  like  the  ship,  it  had 
stood  up  proud  and  unbending  like  the  mighty,  heaven- 
aspiring  cedar !  Long  ere  this  it  would  have  been 
uprooted  and  dashed  out  of  existence. 

His  submissiveness  in  the  presence  of  superior  strength 
has  won  for  the  Israelite  the  reproach  of  cowardice.  If 
the  Israelite  be,  indeed,  an  enemy  to  strife  and  to  fight- 
ing with  deadly  weapons,  it  is  as  much  from  dread  of 
inflicting  death  as  from  fear  of  being  killed.^ 

Our  text  reads,  "  Jacob  was  greatly  afraid,  and  he 

felt  distressed."     Our  sages  interpret  this  verse  as  mean- 

'  "jT  iiig :  "  He  was  greatly  afraid  for  his  own  life  and  the 

»  \  f  lives  of  his  beloved  ones,  and  he  felt  distressed  that  he 

!^J[  V   might  be  put  under  the  necessity  of  inflicting  death  on 

.: ;.  J     others.'! 

!  |Y  --  Submission,  it  is  true,  is  a  virtue  to  be  practised  only 
within  narrow  bounds.  Humility  and  compliance  may 
be  low  and  mean  qualities,  unworthy  of  a  human  being. 
— ^-The  narrow  limits  within  Avhich  submission  is  praise- 
worthy are  well  defnied  in  Jacob's  story .ti  First  of  all, 
Jacob  humbled  himself  before  his  older  brother,  and  the 
re-awaking  of  brotherly  love  was  the  reward  of  his 
deference.*  Secondly,  Jacob  was  conscious  of  the  wrong 
that  he  had  done  his  brother.  ■ 

Well  may  one  bow  seven  times  over,  and  even  more, 
—  if  thereby  a  wrong  can  be  expiated,  the  memory  of  an 
act  of  injustice  be  blotted  out! 
"      It  was  not  alone  the  humility  of  bowing  low  that  con- 
ciliated the  wrathful  brother,  but  the  soft  word,  the  mild 
speech,  the  brotherly  tone  as  well. 

Q  know  of  no  limits  that  ought  to  be  drawn  to  the  use 
of  gentle  words^   Be  ever  mild  in  the  form  of  your 


HUMILITY.  159 

speech,  even  though  decided  iu  your  purpose.  Ahvays 
be  friendly.  Do  not  cultivate  glibness  of  tongue,  hut 
be  ever  ready  with  a  kind  word,  i  well  knrnv,  one  can- 
not always  be  agreeable  }  one  cannot  answer  amiably  at 
all  times,  l)ut  this  is  true  only  because  in  this,  as  in  all 
other  respects,  we  are  imperfect.*  He  that  strives  after 
perfection  in  all  things  will  in  this  direction,  too,  try  to 
do  his  utmost. 

There  is  no  haxrpitress^mi— ©a*th- — indeed,  our  sages 
say  there  is  no  God — where  there  is  no  kindliness,  and 
as  a  result,  not  good  cheer,  j  AVhat  good  does  it  do  you, 
you  husband,  if  you  heap  uptivasures,  and  lay  them  at 
the  feet  of  your  spouse  ?  What  avails  it  that  you  are  a 
paragon  of  virtue ;  that  your  spirit  can  soar  far  above 
our  common  life  ;  that  you  are  a  marvel  of  deep  learn- 
ing, if,  having  all  this,  you  lack  friendliness  of  speecli  ? 
Is  your  wife  a  happy  woman  ?  Are  you  hap})y  ?  And 
of  wliat  avail,  oh  wife!  is  your  l)eauty,  your  charm, 
your  wit ;  what  matters  it  that  you  are  the  very  personi- 
fication of  fidelity  and  self-sacrifice  ;  that  your  house 
welcomes  the  visitor  liy  the  cleanliness,  the  order  and 
the  good  ta.ste  there  manifest?  Vou  d(j  not  rest  from 
morning  till  niglit.  Vou  arc  a  |ia(t(rn  woman  and 
mother,  but  if  you  are  lacking  in  that  one  virtue — 
kindline&s — wjiat  matters  all  this  to  yourself  and  to 
others?  If  your  speech  is  shaip  and  cutting;  il'  you 
cannot  bow  dcnvn  even  seven  times,  if  necessary  ;  that  is, 
if  you  cannot  aceon)modate  yourself  to  people  as  thoy 
are  and  to  existing  circumstances ?  Ami,  yon  (  hiMicn, 
it  matters  not  that  you  feed  and  clothe  y<jur  aged  iiairnts 
with  the  host  that  can  be  procured  ;  that  3'ou  [)rovid«! 
al)UiMlantlv  for  their  cornfort,  if  you   arc   unwilling  to 


J 


160  SABBATH   HOURS. 

bow  before  them  in  cliikllike  reverence,  if  your  lips 
know  not  the  speech  of  kindness.*^ 
-  Gifts,  combat  and  prayer  bring  forth  prosperity,  do- 
minion and  piety,  but  friendliness  makes  happiness.- 
The  key  to  one's  own  happiness  and  that  of  others  is  not 
of  gold  or  iron.  A  cheerful  spirit  and  a  pleasant  word 
will  open  the  kingdom  of  bliss. 


TOLERANCE. 

"Then  baid  Jacob  unto  liis  household,  and  to  all  that  were  with  him, 
Put  away  the  strange  gods  that  are  among  you,  and  cleanse  your- 
selves, and  change  your  garments. 

"And  let  us  arise,  and  go  up  to  Bethel ;  and  I  will  make  there  an  altar 
unto  the  God  who  answered  me  on  the  day  of  my  distress,  and  was 
with  me  on  the  way  which  I  went. 

"And  they  gave  unto  Jacob  all  the  strange  gods  which  were  in  their 
hands,  and  the  ear-rings  which  were  in  their  ears ;  and  Jacob  hid 
them  unrler  the  oak  which  was  near  Schechem."— Gen.  XXXV  :  2-5 

What  may  be  considered  the  distinguishing  mark  of  a 
man  of  true  culture?  What  characterizes  tlie  nation 
that  has  progressed  farthest  on  the  paths  of  civilization? 
The  answer  to  these  questions  may,  we  think,  be  summed 
up  in  one  word — tolerance  ! 

If  we  allow  the  various  nations  of  our  time  to  pass  in 
review  before  our  mental  vision,  we  shall  find  that  those 
nations  j)os.sc.ss  true  culture  whose  social  relations  and 
legislative  codes  breathe  a  spirit  of  tolerance ;  and  the 
degree  of  tolerance  characterizing  a  community  may 
serve  as  a  standard  of  its  grade  of  culture.  So,  too,  in 
till!  world's  history.  Page  after  page  reveals  the  lact 
that,  with  the  dawn  of  culture,  the  first  traces  of  tolera- 
tion nuiy  be  discovered  ;  gradually  tolerance  spreads 
farther  and  farther,  borne  on  its  way  by  tlu;  jirogre.ss  of 
civilization,  and.  in  turn,  aiding  the  latter  in  its  develoj)- 
meut. 

Hi.story  has  also  a  story  of  retrogre.'<sion  in  cidturc  to 
12  161 


162  SABBATH   HOURS. 

relate,  and  the  first  sign  of  each  retrograde  movement  is 
the  spread  of  intolerance. 

Let  us  next  turn  our  attention  to  individuals. 

AVe  must  premise  that  by  a  person  of  culture,  we,  of 
course,  do  not  mean  one  dressed  in  the  height  of  fashion, 
whose  house  is  furnished  as  fashion  demands,  and  whose 
demeanor  accords  exactly  with  the  rules  in  vogue  in  the 
society  of  the  day.  Neither  does  the  term  convey  the 
idea  of  a  man  crammed  with  deep  learning  or  polite  lit- 
erature. Whenever  you  find  a  man  strict  towards  him- 
self, true  to  his  own  convictions,  but  at  the  same  time 
tolerant  of  others,  then  be  assured  that  you  are  dealing 
with  a  person  of  culture,  whether  the  individual  belong 
to  the  upper  or  the  lower  stratum  of  society ;  whether  he 
appear  in  a  smock  frock  or  wear  threadbare  clothing,  it 
matters  not,  that  person  is  cultured,  even  though  igno- 
rant of  Latin  and  Greek. 

Toleration  and  intolerance  do  not,  as  is  commonly 
held,  manifest  themselves  only  in  the  field  of  religion,  so 
that  if  religion  did  not  exist,  these  conceptions  would 
also  be  unknown ;  they  assert  themselves  in  social  life 
generally,  in  whatever  relations  human  beings  may 
associate  with  one  another.  If  you  can  quietly  sit 
by,  and  listen  while  some  one  gives  expression  to  an 
opinion,  offensive  to  you,  and  according  to  your  way  of 
thinking,  utterly  false ;  or,  if  you  can  hear  a  question  dis- 
cussed from  one  point  of  view,  while  you  would  treat  of 
an  entirely  different  phase,  and  you  do  not  obtrude  a 
correction  upon  your  opponent,  then  you  are  tolerant. 
If  you  can  allow  every  one  to  jjursue  his  own  path,  fol- 
low out  his  own  views  and  inclinations — if  you  be  a 
husband,  permit  your  wife  to  carry  out  her  own  ideas  in 


TOLERANCE.  163 

the  managemeut  of  the  househokl ;  if  you  be  a  master, 
suffer  your  workman  that  does  his  duty  faithfully  to 
work  according  to  his  own  method,  and  not  lay  down 
arbitrary  rules  for  him  to  follow — then  you  are  tolerant, 
and  you  bear  the  stamp  of  true  culture. 

Intolerance  is  especially  decried  in  the  form  which  it 
takes  in  religious  life ;  there  its  aj)pearance  is  like  that 
of  a  roaring  lion,  a  loathsome,  hissing  serpent,  a  hyena 
from  whose  pollution  not  even  graves  are  safe.  But  it 
is  in  the  family  circle,  in  the  relations  of  every-day  life 
that  this  beast  is  nourished  and  fostered,  without  the 
least  suspicion  that  many  of  the  evils  attending  our 
career  may  be  traced  to  the  same  intolerance  that  has 
won  for  itself  such  ill  fame  in  the  domain  of  religion. 

It  is  frequently  said  that  heathendom  knew  not  the 
curse  of  intolerance,  that  the  scourge  was  brought 
upon  numkind  by  Judaism  in  the  first  place,  and  that 
Christianity  intensified  its  virulence  and  enlarged  its 
dominion.  This  is  false,  first  of  all,  because  toleration 
and  intolerance,  as  we  observed  before,  are  not  confined 
to  religion  alone,  but  manifest  themselves  as  phases  of 
cliaractcr  throughout  life.  Tlic  ubscrvation  is,  more- 
over, intrinsically  untrue.  I'haraoh  believed  that  the 
Israelites  could  serve  their  (Jod  in  Egypt,  and  Moses 
re[)lied  to  him,  "  NVould  not  the  Egyptians  stone  us,  if 
we  sacrificed  a  hiiiib?"  It  seems,  then,  that  a.s  early  as 
the  days  of  Egyptian  supremacy,  men  were  stonc<I  in 
honor  of  ('(>i\.  We,  may  remember,  in  tliis  connection, 
how  Oaniel,  1  laiianiah  and  tlieir  companions  were  tlireat- 
•  iied  with  death;  Kamltyses,  with  his  own  hand,  put  to 
death  the  adored  Apis  of  Egypt,  an<l  not  content  with 
tliat  deed,  he  ordered  a  maxsacrc  among  the  Egyptians, 


SABBATH   HOURS. 

who  had  been  unutterably  shocked  by  the  enormity  of 
the  outrage  committed. 

Our  Chanukah  festival  annually  reminds  us  of  the 
religious  persecutions  of  the  Israelites  under  Antiochus. 
Both  before  and  after  the  destruction  of  the  Temple, 
the  Jews  underwent  much  suffering,  because  they  would 
not  consent  to  give  divine  adoration  to  the  Roman 
Emperors.  Socrates  was  sentenced  to  drain  the  cup  of 
poison,  because  he  was  accused  of  contempt  of  the  gods, 
of  leading  astray  the  youths  under  his  control,  i.  e.,  of 
teaching  them  to  despise  the  gods. 

It  is  true,  nevertheless,  that  the  instances  of  intoler- 
ance in  heathen  history  are  few  in  })roportion  to  the 
large  number  of  heathen  on  earth,  and  the  length  of 
time  during  which  paganism  held  sway.  This  apparent 
tolerance  may  be  traced  to  the  fact  that  the  various 
religious  beliefs  of  the  heathen  did  not  clash  with  one 
another.  Many  gods  were  worshipped,  but  nothing 
definite  was  known  concerning  their  number,  and  hence 
a  few  more  or  less  made  no  vital  difference.  New  gods 
were  discovered,  as  we  discover  new  planets.  A  stran- 
ger, finding  other  gods  than  those  worshipped  in  his 
home,  was  in  nowise  troubled  by  this  fact ;  he  added 
the  new  gods  to  the  old  ones,  or  recognized  in  the  former 
deities  already  familiar  to  him.  A  Roman  coming  to 
Greece  found  Jupiter  in  Zeus,  in  Germany  he  discovered 
him  in  Wodan,  in  Egypt  in  Osiris,  and  in  Phoenicia  in 
Baal,  and  in  like  manner,  he  found  the  counterparts  of 
the  other  gods  and  goddesses  known  to  him,  with  only  the 
names  changed.  In  Athens,  a  special  altar  was  erected 
to  the  unknown  g(Kls,  so  that  no  insult  might  be  offered 
to  a  god  of  whose  existence  the  Athenians  were  unaware. 


TOLERANCE.  165 

Such  was  not  the  case  in  Israel,  and,  therefore,  our 
faitli  was  looked  upon  as  the  source  of  intolerance. 
There  is  only  one  God,  and  he  is  better  and  more  power- 
ful than  all  your  gods  put  together,  and,  at  the  same 
time,  invisible !  With  this  assertion,  Israel  cast  down 
the  gauntlet  to  the  entire  heathen  world.  No  matter  in 
what  place  the  Israelite  found  tbe  temple  doors  standing 
open  for  him,  he  could  discover  no  god,  worth}'  of  his 
adoration  ;  even  the  sun  was  nothing  to  him  in  compari- 
s(ni  with  his  God.  He  allowed  no  god  to  be  likened  to 
iiis  God,  and  would  not  yield  an  inch  of  his  ground  in 
matters  concerning  tlie  Deity  :  "  Your  gods  are  nothing 
at  all,  our  (Jod  alone  is  God  !  Your  divine  law  is  tolly, 
ours  alone  is  the  law  of  wisdom.  Your  morality  is  an 
abomination,  ours  alone  is  pure  and  holy.  Call  i»iir 
God  neither  Juj)iter,  nor  Zeus,  nor  Wodan,  nor  Osiris, 
nor  Ormuzd,  nor  Trinity,  neither  speak  of  him  as  Ideal, 
Nature,  Reason.  Our  (Jod  is  God,  and  neitlier  defini- 
tion nor  comparison  can  encompass  his  greatness." 

It  is  true,  this  .sounds  like  intolerance;  and  this  intol- 
erance has,  for  thousands  of  years,  incited  all  the  nations 
of  the  earth  to  enmity  towanls  us.  This  inldlciancc  has 
made  bloody  work  for  the  hanginaii  :in(l  tlir  toiiiinrs, 
the  princes  and  tin-  ralihlc  of  all  times.  Hut  we  cannot 
act  otherwise.  This  intolerance,  which  refuses  (o  have 
any  comparison  made  between  tlu;  belief  of  Israel  and 
other  heliefs,  has  never  done  any  one  an  injury.*  Israel, 
alone,  has  sulil-red  thereby. 

Turning  to  our  text,  we  rear]   tliat   daiol)  demanded 
of  his  followers,  all   (he  idols  (hat    they  liad  with  (hem, 
and  "  he  buried  (hem  under  the  oak  near  ISc'beclieni." 
*  KliiKJohii  llyrcuiiUH'  In-uliiiuiil  uf  lliu  IiliiiiKi.'unH  exco|>teil. 


166  SABBATH   HOURS. 

For  nearly  twenty  years  before  this  event,  Jacob  had 
allowed  the  practice  of  idolatry  in  his  family.  Before 
her  flight,  Rachel  had  taken  possession  of  her  father's 
household  gods.  These  images  had  therefore  been  wor- 
shipped by  her  as  long  as  she  had  been  at  home.  And 
Jacob  had  borne  with  this  idolatry  up  to  that  time.  He 
had  probably  thought,  "  Better  a  pious  heathen  from 
conviction  than  an  unimpassioned  believer  in  God,  hold- 
ing to  the  faith  under  coercion."  This  is  an  example 
of  true  tolerance. 

Later,  however,  when  he  journeyed  to  Bethel  to  erect 
the  long-promised  altar  to  the  service  of  the  Most  High, 
he  would  endure  no  discord,  no  mixture  of  idolatry  and 
the  worship  of  the  one  God.  Here,  again,  we  have  in- 
tolerance, but  intolerance  proper  to  the  circumstances. 
When  standing  upon  ground  holy  to  us,  we  dare  not, 
only  to  please  others,  mingle  the  sacred  and  the  profane. 

In  last  week's  portion  of  the  Torah,  we  read  how 
Laban  swore  to  Jacob,  "The  gods  of  Abraham  and 
the  gods  of  Nachor  shall  judge  between  us."  Here  we 
have  an  instance  of  heathen  intolerance  which  accepts 
all  manner  of  gods.  Jacob,  however,  would  not  lend 
himself  to  this  form  of  tolerance.  Jacob  swore  not  by 
the  gods  of  Nachor ;  he  swore  by  the  God  of  his  father. 
That  is  intolerance,  resting  upon  strong,  personal  con- 
viction. 

Be  intolerant!  Remain  true  to  your  belief  in  that 
which  your  conviction  assures  you  to  1)e  divine,  true, 
pure,  holy  and  noble.  Stand  firm  !  Be  not  seduced  by 
promises  of  earthly  gain.  Be  not  affrighted  by  any 
harm  that  may  come  to  you ;  do  not  let  ridicule  move 
you  from  your  position.     If  they  call  to  you :  "  Come, 


TOLERANCE.  167 

be  not  so  stubborn.  Give  us  a  finger,  if  you  must  re- 
fuse your  whole  hand  !  Come  to  us  !  We  shall  be  able 
to  agree.  Give  way  somewhat  yourself,  we  too  will  do 
the  utmost  in  our  power  to  meet  you.  See,  the  difibr- 
ence  between  us  is  not  great.  We  are  \\'illing  to  say, 
'  the  gods  of  Abraham  ;'  surely,  you  may  then  say,  'the 
t£ods  of  Nachor.'     Be  tolerant !" 

No!  Be  intolerant!  Between  Judaism  and  philo- 
sophical Hellenism,  as  between  Judaism  and  Christianity 
weakened  to  Unitarianism  and  Universalism,  there 
yawns  a  deep  cliasm.  We  believe  only  in  one  God,  a 
Divine  Providence,  ruling  the  world,  in  whose  sight  all 
men  are  equal.  We  cannot  add  anything  to  this  ))elief, 
as,  for  instance,  ascribing  divine  (pialities  to  a  human 
being,  nor  can  we  give  up  any  part  of  it,  as,  for  instance, 
endowing  our  Gi)d  with  human  accidents. 

In  rcL-^aid  to  the  beliefs  and  the  actions  of  othei-s, 
however,  be  tolerant.  Honor  their  temples  and  lecture 
halls,  their  ])riests  and  teacheis,  their  congregations  and 
jiiidiences,  even  though  in  principle  and  practice  they 
clash  with  y«)ur  convictions.  Throughout  lii'c,  in  nur 
rower  as  in  wider  spheres,  allow  every  one  to  reach  liis 
goal  in  his  own  way,  without  offering  officious  :nlvice  as 
to  better  niethotis  of  attaining  his  end. 

Tniversal  "  eidighti-nnient "  is  not  the  climax  of  hap- 
piness to  which  mankind  may  hope  to  attain  in  tlie 
course  of  time.  Iv|uali/ation  of  mankind,  wiiether  on 
a  high  or  a  low  j»hine,  is  a  dangerous  prineijde.  Tliis 
principle  guides  a  gigantic  northern  power  wliii  h  nudies 
great  exertion.s  towards  bringing  about  uniformity  of 
belief.  The  accursed  w<irk  of  the  Inquisition  wius  in- 
spired bv  this  idea,  and  such   is  the  motive  of  the  advo- 


108  SABBATH   HOURS. 

cates  of  "  enlightenment,"  who  aim  to  lead  the  world  on 
to  enlightenment  and— unbelief,  and  grow  impatient 
when  they  find  that  they  cannot  accomjili^h  their  end. 
Ko ;  never  will  all  mankind  think  alike!  The  Fiji 
Islander  and  the  scholar  in  a  Berlin  lecture  hall  Avill 
never  occupy  the  same  point  of  view.  The  world  is 
meant  to  present  a  varied,  iiot  a  uniform  aspect.  Uni- 
versal toleration  is  the  hopeful  dream  of  niankind^ — an 
ideal,  not  incapable  of  realization. 

But  do  we  not  exclaim  daily  with  the  prophets,  "  On 
that  day,  the  Lord  will  be  One,  and  his  name  One?" 
We,  who  are  here  assembled  in  this  bouse  of  worship, 
we  all  believe  in  one  God.  For  us,  God  is  even  now 
"  One  and  his  name  One,"  and  yet  how  widely  we  differ 
in  our  conceptions  of  the  divine  and  in  our  line  of  con- 
duct. Acts,  whose  performance  seems  a  sacred  duty  to 
one,  are  less  than  trivial  in  the  eyes  of  another.  Never- 
theless, we  live  together  in  friendshij)  and  amity.  The 
Avide  divergence  of  our  i)aths  in  the  "  light  of  the  Lord  " 
does  not  disturb  our  peace.  That  such  a  relation  may 
exist  among  all  men  is  the  hope  that  we  cherish  for 
the  great  day  of  our  prayer ;  not  one  shepherd  and  one 
flock,  but  many  flocks  and  many  shej^herds,  and  all  the 
shepherds  at  peace  with  one  another,  serving  one  Mas- 
ter. AVe  possess  a  sufficient  assurance  of  progress,  when 
we  see  believers  of  widely  varying  faiths,  as  well  a.s 
those  differing  within  the  confines  of  a  single  belief, 
dwelling  side  by  side  in  peace,  enjoying  like  privileges; 
when  pope,  nuifti,  grand  lama,  rabbi  and  j)hilosopher 
do  not  curse  and  defame  one  another,  but  rather  dispose 
their  followers  to  peace,  so  that  all  sects  may  dwell 
together  in  unity  and  concord. 


TOLERANCE.  169 

Those  were  evil  days,  wheu  the  word  tolerance  was 
unknown  in  the  domain  of  religion,  when  tolerance  was 
not  a  virtue  but  rather  a  crime.  80,  the  best  time  is 
to  come,  when  the  word  toleration  will  a,<rain  disa[)pear. 

The  word  tolerance  is  of  Latin  orijjin,  and  sitrnifies 
"  bearinir."  A  man  consents  to  hrar  an  injustice  meekly 
rather  than  become  involved  in  strife  and  contention. 
The  German  speaks  of  Duklung,  forbearance,  patience. 
We  speak  of  bearing  with  misconduct.  Parents  are 
))atieiit  with  tlieir  children's  misbehavior;  teachers, 
with  i)upils  of  limited  capacity.  Such  was,  and  is,  the 
general  conception  of  tolerance.  The  individual  looks 
down  upon  those  holding  a  difterent  opinion  with  grim 
forbearance,  or  smiles  pityingly  at  tlie  ciiildlike  sim- 
})licity  of  the  people ;  he  bears  with  it,  suffers  it.  For 
the  present,  let  us  rest  content  with  this  conception.  It 
is  the  medicine  that  will  curi'  the  dreadful  disease  of 
intolerance. 

Sound  morality,  however,  knows  not  tolerance,  not 
intolerance.  Jt  recognizes  only  the  natural  right  of  man 
to  exercise  freedom  of  thought,  and  especially  to  di'ter- 
niine  his  relation  to  heaven,  accordintr  to  his  own  judir- 
numt  and  conx  iclion.  Man  ninst  even  l»e  allowecl  the 
right  to  fall  into  eii-or.  There  is  no  need  (n  practise 
forbearance  or  yiijfcrance,  because  one  man  is  orthodox 
in  his  faith,  another  is  a  reformer,  and  the  views  of  a 
third  differ  (Voni  both  oftheni  ;  because  this  man  is  a  Jew, 
that  one  a  Christian,  and  the  third  a  heathen.  JOaeli  one 
has  a  right  to  be  wluit  he  is.  Not  toleration,  not  for- 
bearance, but  one  right  for  all  ! 

One's  conviction  naturally  becomes  ever  more  fixed 
in    nursing  fanatic  zeal  towards  other  bcsliefs;  while  in 


170  SABBATH   HOURS. 

looking  indulgently  upon  the  beliefs  of  others,  it  is  diffi- 
cult not  to  become  careless  of  one's  own  belief,  not  to 
allow  respect  for  the  convictions  of  others  to  make  one 
falter  in  one's  own  faith. 

We  Israelites  find  it  a  difficult  task  to  preserve  a 
pious,  Jewish  faith,  while  practising  universal  toleration. 

Let  us  ever  remember  Jacob,  who  bore  with  idolatry 
for  twenty  years,  Ijut  removed  the  idols  away  from  him 
upon  erecting  an  altar  to  the  one  God,  and  founding  an 
independent  household.  He  allowed  the  heathen  to 
swear  by  all  the  gods.  He,  however,  swore  by  the  God 
whom  his  father  feared.  Let  us  say  with  Joshua,  in  his 
farcAvell  speech,  "  Choose  for  yourselves  this  day,  whom 
ye  will  serve ;  .  .  .  .  but  as  for  me  and  my  house, 
we  will  serve  the  Lord." 

As  we  thank  thee,  O  God,  for  the  sun,  which  brightens 
the  day,  for  its  light  and  heat,  so  we  thank  thee  for  the 
sun  of  reason,  which  gives  promise  to  mankind  of  a 
beautiful  day — a  day  of  peace  and  concord,  when  upon 
the  sacred  soil  of  thy  adoration,  neither  blood  nor  tear 
will  flow,  no  violence  and  no  hate  be  manifested,  neither 
cruelty  nor  bitterness  l)e  known. 

Bless  our  country,  the  shining  example  of  toleration 
to  all  the  other  nations  of  the  earth  !  Bless  the  fathers 
and  motliers,  who  encourage  pure  fiiith  in  thee  in  their 
family  circles,  and  who  implant  it  in  the  tender  hearts 
of  their  offspring !  Bless  the  teachers  in  the  pulpits 
and  in  the  schools,  who  teach  thy  law  and  urge  the 
jjeople  to  continued  fidelity  to  it,  and  who,  at  the  same 
time,  proclaim  peace — peace  to  him  tliat  is  near  and  to 
him  that  is  far,  truth  and  peace  !  Oh,  thou,  God  of  truth 
and  peace ! 


17.S 


he 


BELATED  EDUCATION. 

Gek.  XXXVII. 

For  thousands  of  years  men  dwelt  by  the  shores  of 
mighty  rivers,  without  knowing  the  fountain-head, 
whence  the  water  issued  in  such  volumes,  ignorant  of  the 
mountain,  whose  springs  fed  the  sources  of  the  streams. 
Of  the  origin  of  many  of  these  streams  we  are  igno- 
rant even  to-day.  Even  more  emphatically  is  this  true 
of  the  springs  of  human  actions,  the  influence  at  work 
in  the  lives  of  mighty  nations.  Great  events  ])our  their 
streams  into  the  ocean  of  history.  Individuals  and  mil- 
lions are  raised  on  high  on  these  waves  <>f  tlie  worM's 
historv,  and  again  are  sunk  beneath  its  billows.  Ibit 
we  know  not  the  cause  of  the.se  phenomena,  reason  fails 
to  find  their  origin,  which  is  frequently  (piite  iusignifi- 
cant.  Throughout  thou.«ands  of  yeans,  Israel,  like  the 
gull"  stream  iu  the  v:L<t  waters  of  the  ocean,  iuis  pre- 
served its  individuality  iu  the  complex  history  of  the 
wiirld.  When  Israel  j)our(il  fnitli  from  Egyj)!,  il  was 
a  considerable  stream.  Willi  tlie  SDJuurn  among  tiie 
lOgyptians  an<l  the  exodus  Ibllowing  tlu!r(!UpoM,  Israel's 
story  ceases  to  be  the  record  of  a  series  of"  ("amily  events 
and  d(!velops  into  national  liislnry,  and,  tliereal"ler, 
plays  a  j)art  in  the  history  of  the  world.  Where  naist 
we  seek  the  fountain-head  (»f'  this  mition?  We  do  not 
mean  the  stock  fmm  which  it  .sprang.     For  that  wo  are 

171 


170 


5BATH   HOURS, 


1<^  \  It  is  the  elementary,  moving 

jatioiial  story  that  we  seek.  We 
\\d  have  foinid  it  condensed  into 
Reading  of  the  chapter.  "  These 
3ob,"  this  the  issue  oi'  Jacob, 
.  ^  discipline  of  Joseph,  a  training,  it 
-....cL  oe  admitted,  long  delayed.  Jacob's  eyes  were  not 
opened  to  the  true  condition  of  Joseph's  spiritual  life 
until  the  latter's  seventeenth  year,  and  then  we  read  "  his 
father  rebuked  him."  But  it  was  too  late.  Joseph 
grew  up,  we  are  told,  with  the  sons  of  the  maid-ser- 
vants. His  mother  was  dead.  There  remained,  in  his 
home,  his  father,  his  mother's  sister,  adult  l>rothers, 
with  their  wives  and  two  other  wives  of  his  father,  l)ut 
all  these  together  could  not,  in  his  education  and  in 
their  care  of  him,  be  a  true  motlier  to  the  boy.  Had 
Rachel,  his  mother,  been  alive,  it  would  probably  not 
have  been  necessary  for  his  father  to  rebuke  his  son  in 
his  seventeenth  year.  There  would  have  been  no  enmity 
between  Rachel's  son  and  the  sons  of  her  sisters,  and  all 
the  trouble  springing  out  of  this  hatred,  which  finally 
ended  in  the  removal  into  Egyjjt,  might  have  been 
avoided.  His  father  allowed  the  motherless  child  to 
grow  up  in  its  ow^u  way  among  the  cliildren  of  the  maid- 
servants, and  failed  completely  to  observe  the  growing 
discord  between  Joseph  and  his  brothers  until  t(^o  late 
for  remedy.  "  Joseph  brought  evil  reports  of  them  unto 
his  father."  Jacol)  listened  witliout  reliuke  to  the  boi/ 
Joseph's  criticism  and  complaint  of  his  brothers,  who 
were  men  in  years.  Jacob's  own  early  ex})eriences 
ought  to  have  impressed  upon  him  the  full  significance 
of  fraternal  strife  and  the  consequences  of  family  dissen- 


BELATED    EDUCATION.  17'^ 

sious.  In  his  intercourse  with  Esau  and  Labau,  he 
ought  to  have  learnt  this  lesson  well.  But  he  did  not 
see  that  the  same  weed  was  springing  up  in  rank  luxu- 
riance in  his  own  house.  "When  he  finally  noticed  it, 
it  was  too  late.  The  rebuke  was  in  vain.  "  Israel  loved 
Joseph  more  than  all  his  children — and  he  made  him  a 
silken  garment."  (d"D£3  is  thus  rendered  in  the  Midrash.) 
It  is  true,  we  cannot  control  the  inclinations  of  our 
hearts  ;  we  have  no  power  to  decide  whom  we  shall  love, 
and  how  much  atiection  we  shall  bestow.  It  was  unfor- 
tunate that  Jacob  loved  Joseph  more  than  his  other 
children,  but  he  was  not  responsible  for  this  feeling. 
Duty  and  common-sense,  however,  should  have  warned 
him  not  to  sli'dit  his  less-beloved  children,  nor  to  allow 
them  to  feel  that  he  held  them  in  less  regard  than  he  had 
for  Jo3ei)h.  He  acted  like  many  other  fathers,  heedless 
of  the  dictates  of  reason,  guided  by  the  heart  alone. 
Jacob's  love  for  Joseph  did  not  lead  him  to  watch  over 
his  child  more  carefully,  and  to  discipline  him  for  his 
own  good  ;  he  left  him  to  the  tender  mercies  of  Bilhah 
and  Zilpali.  On  the  other  liand,  he  made  his  son  a 
silken  garment.  Joseph's  ])ri>thers,  clothed  like  shep- 
herds, tended  their  flocks,  while  Ida  father's  favorite 
W(mt  abdiit  in  lurdly  clothing.  It  is  scarcely  a  matter  of 
a.stonishmcnt  tliat  <liiii  visions  <ii'  authority  over  his 
brethren  sliould  have  looiiud  ti|>  in  . Joseph's  mind.  WC 
cannot  accuse  him  of  having  liarborcd  clearly  dciinid 
thoughts  on  th(!  Hubjcct.  Tlu!  idea  of  the  rulei-ship  of 
one  brotlicr  over  another  was  not  so  very  fauciful. 
Such  had  ever  been  the  ciuse  in  his  fandly.  Isaac  was 
jtreferred  to  Ishmacl,  Jacol)  was  set  above  Esan  in 
receiving    tin-    paternal    blessing.      'Ilic    billcr  feelings 


174  SABBATH   HOURS. 

aroused  by  Josepli's  narrative  of  his  dream,  which  could 
so  easily  be  interpreted  as  foretelling  the  future  author- 
ity of  Joseph  over  his  l)rethreu,  were  therefore  not  pro- 
duced by  over-sensitiveness.  His  brothers  broke  out 
into  the  cry,  "  Shalt  thou  indeed  reign  over  us?  Or  shalt 
thou  indeed  have  dominion  over  us  ?"  Even  the  father 
believed,  though  he  kept  the  belief  locked  in  his  own 
heart,  that  the  dream  might  be  realized.  "His  father 
noted  the  matter."'  Finally,  however,  Jacob  recognized 
the  danger  in  such  visions  to  the  general  peace  of  the 
family  and  to  that  of  the  dreamer,  in  particular. 
Thereupon,  his  father  spoke  to  Joseph,  not  clothing  his 
words  in  fine  silk,  for  he  rebuked  him  harshly.  Here, 
again,  we  have  a  parallel  to  the  course  of  so  many 
fathers  among  us,  who  have  not  the  heart  to  say  a  stern 
word  to  the  boy,  the  mere  chikl,  but  are  ready,  in  their 
anger  and  excitement,  to  upbraid  the  youth  in  the 
harshest  terms.  But  the  rebuke  came  too  late.  Through 
the  belated  education  of  Joseph,  the  house  of  Jacob  lost 
its  firm  lialance,  and  thereujoon  rushed  helpless  upon  its 
fate,  through  the  pleasant  days  when  tlie  family  had 
been  saved  from  famine,  into  the  ensuing  darkness  of 
slavery.  Joseph's  individual  destiny,  however,  led  him 
through  the  depths  of  slavery  and  imprisonment  to 
rulership  over  Egypt. 

A  father  neglected  his  motherless  child,  allowing  it  to 
fi)llow  its  own  inclinaticm,  instead  of  leading  it  with 
tender  care  ;  he  attended  to  the  education  of  his  son  only 
when  the  latter  had  l^ecome  a  youth.  This  it  was  that 
decided  the  destiny  of  a  nation  for  centuries  to  come. 
"  This  is  the  issue  of  Jacob,  Joseph  being  seventeen  years 
old,"  etc. 


BELATED  EDUCATION.  175 

Wbeu  Jacob's  last  hour  came,  aud  he  had  gathered 
his  sons  about  his  death-bed,  he  spoke  harshly  to  the 
three  eldest  of  them.  Our  sages  say :  "  Jacob  addressed 
Reuben  in  these  words,  'My  sou,  thou  mayest  ask, 
Why  I  did  not  ere  this  address  these  words  to  thee? 
Because  I  feared  that  thou  mightc^t  turn  the  reproach 
buck  upon  me.' "  Our  sages  would  not  merit  the  title 
bestowed  ujjon  them,  did  they  give  us  this  narrative  as 
of  an  actual  occurrence.  In  this  speech,  they  wish  to 
teach  us  that  fathers  must  not  rebuke  their  children 
when  they  are  grown,  just  though  such  reprimand  may 
be.  It  comes  too  late,  and  can  effect  nothing  but  l)itter- 
ness  of  feeling.  It  is  easy  to  recognize  the  fault  of  be- 
ginning an  education  too  late  in  life.  Those  that  commit 
this  error,  finally,  though  it  may  be  too  late,  come  to  the 
conclusion  that  their  efibrts  were  too  long  delayed.  The 
fault  of  waiting  too  long  to  cea.se  from  discipline  is  less 
commonly  recognized.  The  influence  of  the  parental  will 
upon  the  will  of  the  child  must  make  itself  felt  l)ut 
lightly  at  first,  and  gradually  increase  in  its  influence. 
So,  too,  the  removal  of  this  discipline  must  be  a  gradual 
l)roc('3s,  until  at  its  completion,  the  son  and  daughter 
arc  left  cmnpletcly  at  lii)crty.  Many  parents  embitter 
their  own  lives  as  well  as  the  lives  of  th(ii' cliiMrcii  Ky 
neglecting  this  principle;  having  once  seized  tli(  reins 
of  government,  they  know  not  when  to  lay  them  down. 
Everything  on  earth  has  its  time  of  growth,  of  blossom, 
and  linally  <>i'  ripe  I'rnitage.  The  same  is  true  of  educa- 
tion. A  ship  leaves  the  harhor.  The  steersman  places 
himself  he.-iile  the  lielm,  surely  not  with  the  intention 
of  .--teering  the  ship  :iliout  \\y<>i\  the  oci^an  aiinlesslv.  but 
in  order  to  guide  it  into  iinutliei   li;iven.     TIh    helmsman 


176  SABBATH   HOURS. 

then  leaves  his  post;  the  cargo,  if  the  ship  carry  any,  is 
unloaded.  If  it  bear  no  cargo,  but  conies  to  shore  with 
eni2)ty  hold,  the  rudder  may  be  turned  again  and  again; 
it  is  of  no  practical  use. 

Our  weekly  portion  in  the  Torah  furnishes  us  with  an 
example  of  the  uselessness  of  belated  education,  and 
shows  us,  at  the  same  time,  how  apparently  trivial  inci- 
dents in  family  life  may  decide  the  fate  of  future  genera- 
tions. The  consequences  of  events  that  occurred  in 
Jacob's  tent  fills  the  richest,  the  most  interesting  pages 
of  history  for  thousands  of  years  after  that  time. 
Through  the  inverted  lens  of  time,  we  see,  like  a  drop 
on  the  edge  of  a  cliff,  this  nomad  family  of  the  dim  past 
in  the  midst  of  family  dissensions,  deplorably  frequent 
at  all  times.  As  the  drop  helps  to  feed  the  spring  which 
swells  into  the  brook,  into  the  stream,  and  finally  into 
the  mighty  river,  so  family  events  become  the  source 
of  an  historical  stream  of  mighty  import. 

It  is  a  mistake  for  man  to  hold  too  high  an  opinion 
of  himself,  and  think  too  meanly  of  others.  This  is 
the  characteristic  commonly  called  pride.  On  the  other 
hand,  it  is  unfortunate,  if  a  man  holds  himself  of  too 
little  consequence ;  that  is,  in  his  relation  to  mankind  as 
a  whole.  It  is  unfortunate  if  a  father  thinks :  "  My 
attention  to  the  education  of  my  children  or  my  neglect 
of  them  concerns  only  myself  and  my  family.  Of  what 
consequence  is  my  petty  existence,  are  my  actions  within 
my  own  walls,  to  the  world  at  large?"  In  this  respect, 
one  can  scarcely  hold  too  high  an  opinion  of  one's  self. 
A  man  dies  i'or  himself  alone ;  he  lives  for  the  world. 
Kis  achievements  and  his  omissions  do  not  aflect  the 
present  alone,  nor  do  they  pass  away  with  it,  but  they 


BELATED   EDUCATION.  177 

continue  to  influence  the  fate  of  others,  first  of  his  im- 
mediate descendants,  and  then,  of  more  distant  posterity. 
His  good  work  in  the  education  of  his  children  is  a  bene- 
fit to  the  world,  his  neglect  of  discipline  an  injury. 

Finally,  the  fact  must  not  remain  unnoticed  that 
Joseph,  in  spite  of  all,  after  suffering  keenly  for  his  own 
petty  faults  and  for  the  doting  love  of  his  father,  grew 
up  to  be  one  of  the  most  n(jble-miudcd  of  men.  His 
early  home  had  been  the  abode  of  j)iety  and  the  fear  of 
the  Lord,  and  in  spite  of  all  the  faults  of  his  training, 
this  could  not  l)iit  produce  good  results.  The  impres- 
.•^ions  of  the  parental  home  are  not  lost.  For  a  time, 
they  may  appear  forgotten  ;  they  may  lose  some  of  their 
freshness  in  our  intercourse  with  men  ;  amid  youthful 
frivolities,  their  memory  may  grow  dim  ;  the  conceit  of 
youth  may  not  ho]<l  them  at  their  true  value;  but  they 
will  rise  to  the  surface  again,  as  oil  floats  ever  upward, 
and  finally  gains  the  surface  of  the  water.  A  child  that 
has  spent  the  first  seventeen  years  of  its  life  in  a  house 
permeated  with  an  upright  and  god-fearing  spirit  may, 
indeed,  if  left  to  \U  own  devices,  go  astray;  may  sink 
from  one  folly  into  another,  but  it  will  surely  find  the 
path  of"  righteousness  again.  It  will  not  be  morally 
ruinefl.  NN'liether  discipline  be  early  or  late,  the  spirit 
of  home  will  be  tlic  deciding  influence.  They  are,  indeed, 
favored  whose  youth  ha.s  Ihch  pM-.-i  <I  in  a  god-fearing 
home;  they  will,  at  the  end,  live  an  honor  to  f  lod. 


18 


THE  IMPORTANCE  OF  LITTLE  THINGS. 

"  No  human  being,  no  hour  in  life,  no  moral  action  is  without  signifi- 
cance." 

The  world's  history,  and,  as  part  of  it,  the  fate  of  the 
individual,  lie  before  us,  dark  and  impenetrable  as  the 
mighty  ocean.  The  sea  rolls  majestically  before  our 
eyes,  terrifying  us  with  its  mighty  waves  and  billows, 
its  restless  tossing  and  raging.  And  yet,  what  our  eye 
can  take  in  is  merely  a  drop  in  comparison  with  the  vast 
stretch  of  waters,  and  even  this  drop  covers,  as  with  a 
cloak,  the  secrets  of  the  awful  deep. 

We  raise  our  eyes  to  the  firmament ;  our  vision  scans 
immeasurable  distances.  AVhen  the  eye  is  tired  out 
with  gazing,  not  only  the  eye  of  the  average  man,  but 
also  the  well-protected  organ  of  the  most  skilful  astron- 
omer and  the  boldest  thinker — it  drops,  and  man  must 
acknowledge  to  himself:  "  My  vision  can  penetrate  only 
the  least  part  of  that  which  is  on  high  ;  I  can  compre- 
hend only  the  smallest  section  of  what  I  have  seen,  and 
that  which  my  understanding  can  master — what  docs  it 
signify  in  the  plan  of  the  Architect  of  the  universe?" 
The  vast  design  is  entirely  concealed  from  us.  So  with 
our  insight  into  the  mysteriously  woven  fate  of  man- 
kind and  of  the  individual. 

The  number  of  events  chronicled  by  history,  com- 
pared with  the  vast  sum  of  past  occurrences,  is  as  the 

178 


THE  IMPORTANCE  OF    LITTLE   THINGS.  179 

limited  liorizon  of  man  in  comparison  with  the  whole 
universe.  Only  an  insignificant  number  of  events  is 
observed  at  all ;  the  majority  receives  scarcely  any  notice, 
and  is  forgotten,  and  that  which  is  observed,  noted,  and 
made  a  part  of  history  is  not  understood  in  its  relation 
to  the  whole.  As  in  the  world's  history,  so  also  in  the 
life-history  of  every  individual.  If  a  man,  at  the  age 
of  seventy,  were  to  take  an  inventory  of  his  memory, 
noting  all  the  clear  recollections  of  his  past  life— how 
soon  would  his  task  be  finislicd  I  How  insigniiicant 
would  be  the  sum  thus  obtained  I  Of  an  inconsiderable 
number  of  his  experiences  as  compared  with  the  sum 
total,  has  he  taken  cognizance ;  of  this  number,  only  the 
smallest  portion  has  been  impressed  upon  him  ;  most  of 
these  impressions  he  has  forgotten,  aud  of  that  which 
finally  remains  fastened  in  his  memory,  he  fails  to  under- 
stand the  j)urpose,  and  what  its  relation  to  the  whole. 
It  is  true,  he  can  tell  what  he  considered  pleasant  and 
what  unpleasant  events,  what  sad  days  and  what  joyful 
ones,  biit  it  may  be  that  the  unj)lea.sant  experiences  wen- 
a  source  of  blessing  to  hini,  wiiih'  iIk;  pleasant  ones  were 
harniriil  in  their  conseijuenees. 

In  the  life  of  .losejili  and  ]\\<  l';iiiiil\ ,  I  he  Scriptures 
.show  how  marvellouslv  a  man',-  lite,  ((tiitrary  to  his  own 
actions  and  desires,  he,  indeed,  iin<'on.seio»i.s  thereof,  may 
shape  it.s<'lf  in  agiven  \\a\.  The  story  t'nitlH  r  illii-t  infes 
how  tlie  most  trivial  .-ictioii,  even  of  an  insignificant  man 
in  an  ob.'»curc  corner  oi'  the  earth,  may  continue  to  aliect 
the  destinies  of  others  in  tlie  nio.-l  distant  liiture,  unto  the 
latest  generations. 

Who  can  say  that  he  is  not  a  Joseph  in  his  own  way? 
Or  that  each  one  of  his  actions  docs  not  i)lay  a  part  in 


180  SABBATH    HOURS. 

the  lives  of  others  ;  that  its  influence  is  not  felt  in  ever- 
widening  circles  ?  In  the  life  of  Josej^h,  the  Scriptures 
unveil  for  us  the  life  of  a  single  man.  How  many  pass 
through  life  without  solving  the  riddle  of  their  own  fate, 
and  of  their  influence  upon  the  lot  of  other  men? 

No  human  existence  is  without  significance,  no  hour 
in  life  is  unimportant,  no  moral  action  is  a  matter  of 
indifterence.  "  There  is  nothing  without  its  appropriate 
place,  no  man  without  his  opportunity."  Originally, 
Joseph  was  an  unimportant  personage  for  the  world  at 
large,  a  mere  shepherd  lad,  running  about  with  his 
brothers  in  tlie  fields  of  Mesopotamia.  Despite  his 
humble  l)eginnings,  however,  he,  in  the  end,  not  only 
shaped  the  destinies  of  the  house  of  Israel,  but  also 
impressed  his  personality  upon  the  development  of  dis- 
tant, mighty  Egypt.  Truly,  the  life  of  every  individual 
is  of  significance  in  the  plan  of  the  universe.  Do  not 
estimate  any  man  as  of  too  little  worth  to  be  either  useful 
or  harmful  to  thee.  It  is  true,  not  every  stone  the  build- 
ers reject  becomes  the  chief  corner-stone,  but  for  each 
one  the  Creator  has  provided  a  place  in  the  great  world- 
structure.  The  smallest  may  be  a  stumbling-block 
placed  in  thy  path  for  weal  or  for  woe.  Do  not  force 
thyself  upon  the  great  ones  of  the  earth,  nor  be  too 
anxious  about  their  favor  or  displeasure,  as  if  they, 
alone,  could  bring  l)lessing  or  curse  upon  thee.  Had  it 
not  been  for  Pharaoh's  dreams,  the  chief  butler,  pow- 
erful though  he  was,  would  have  allowed  Joseph,  for- 
gotten of  all,  to  perish  in  prison.  As  far  as  our  fate  is 
governed  by  outward  circumstances,  it  follows  its  own 
rules,  to  which  both  great  and  small  must  submit. 

Neither   underestimate    thine   own   value,   thinking. 


THE   IMPORTANCE   OF   LITTLE  THINGS.  181 

"  Nothing  of  all  this  concerns  me.  I  am  too  insignifi- 
cant ;  I  can  lend  no  aid  in  the  world's  work,"  In  this 
sense,  no  creature  on  God's  earth  is  insignificant,  or 
exists  for  itself  alone.  To  be  of  use  in  the  world,  one 
need  be  no  philosojiher,  rich  in  wisdom,  nor  hold  sacks 
of  gold  in  his  grasp,  nor  boast  an  arm  of  iron.  Man, 
thou  art  an  instrument  in  tlie  hand  of  Providence! 
Look  to  it  that  when  thy  hour  of  usefulness  comes,  thy 
edge  be  not  dulled  and  rusty. 

Neither  is  any  moral  action  a  matter  of  indifierence. 
Thy  action,  thy  speech,  thy  omissions,  and  thy  silence 
are  either  good  or  not  good,  and  the  actions  that  seem  a 
matter  of  indifference — why,  this  very  thinking  that  an 
action  can  be  iudifierent  is  one  of  the  things  that  are 
iiol  good.  It  is  wrong  to  act  thoughtlessly.  To  relate  a 
dream,  (jr  to  remark  in  a  conversation  that  a  certain 
person  has  done  a  certain  thing,  is  considered  a  perfectly 
harndess  proceeding.  Thus  Joseph  must  have  thought 
about  his  own  childisli  prattle.  Jacob  probably  also 
considered  it  morally  indifierent,  whether  his  .son  was 
clad  in  silk  or  in  linen.  And  yet  how  important  were 
these  things  in  deciding  the  fate  of  a  large  family  and 
of  an  entire  kingdom  I  No  word  falls  upon  l)arrcn  soil ; 
no  action  is  lost  in  the;  sands  of  tinu'.  From  it  may 
spring  a  tree  of  life,  or  thidniih  vou.uikI  othi'rslike  you, 
it  may  bring  forth  th<irns  and  thi.stle.s. 

Our  text  fiiitli<rmiire  teaches  us  that  we  lack  the 
insiirlit  to  determine  which  of  our  exix'rienccs  are  truly 
good,  and  which  air  liad.  We  can  discriminate  only 
iM'twcen  pU'a.-<ant  and  unpica.smt  (ixperience.s,  for  what 
is  agreeable  to  US  and  wiiat  is  good  for  us  are  not  always 
united,  nor  is  the  disagreeable  in  every  case  evil.     How 


182  SABBATH  HOURS. 

often  a  few  days  of  joy,  of  pleasure,  are  followed  by 
many  days  of  sadness  !  Frequently,  after  gratification 
comes  deep  regret,  serene  happiness  follows  close  upon 
bitter  affliction,  and  after  pain  may  come  blessing. 
Joseph's  brothers  thought  that,  by  selling  him,  they  had 
rid  themselves  forever  of  the  troublesome  boy.  This 
was  pleasant,  but  not  good  for  them.  How  frequently 
must  they  have  felt  bitter  remorse  for  the  unkind  deed ! 
Their  hearts  must  have  been  pierced  as  with  knives, 
when  they  saw  their  father  sinking  under  the  burden  of 
his  grief  Twenty-two  years  after  the  deed,  we  hear 
them,  in  their  distress,  breaking  out  into  lamentations, 
"  Truly,  we  are  guilty  concerning  our  brother,  in  that 
we  saw  the  anguish  of  his  soul,  when  he  besought  us, 
and  we  would  not  hear ;  therefore  is  this  distress  come 
upon  us." 

So  fared  it  with  the  brothers.  To  Joseph,  on  the 
other  hand,  the  treatment  that  he  received  at  his 
brothers'  hands  was  anything  but  agreeable  ;  but  it  was 
merely  unpleasant,  it  was  not  evil.  His  way  into  the 
light  lay  through  dark  night.  In  order  to  rule,  he  had 
first  to  be  a  slave.  The  bottom  of  the  pit  was  for  him 
the  first  step  of  the  throne.  His  suffering  was  the  salva- 
tion of  his  family.  AVhatever  is  ordained  by  God, 
whatever  is  ordered  as  our  lot,  may  be  unpleasant, 
bitter,  deeply  i)aiiiful,  but  it  is  never  evil.  Nothing 
eml  can  proceed  from  the  hand  of  God.  Let  us,  then, 
not  1)6  too  extravagant  in  our  delight  in  a  pleasant  expe- 
rience, nor  entirely  cast  down  by  grief  when  trouble 
comes  upon  us  ;  we  know  not  the  end  for  which  Provi- 
dence has  sent  the  joy  or  the  trial.  Neither  be  too 
indignant  against  him  that  has  wounded  thee  by  word 


THE   IMPORTANCE   OF   LITTLE   THINGS.  183 

or  deed,  aud  has  injured  thy  worldly  prosperity.  It 
may  be  that,  though  seeking  to  do  tliee  harm,  he  has  in 
reality  benefited  thee.  Hold  firmly  to  the  belief:  "God 
directs  everything  for  the  best.  No  matter  what  man, 
in  envy,  in  anger,  in  hatred,  or  in  folly,  plots  against 
man,  he  can  do  no  harm,  if  such  be  not  God's  will.  Here 
aud  there  a  man  is  allowed  to  see  the  problem  of  his 
existence  solved  in  his  lifetime,  and  then  he  may 
exclaim  with  .Joseph,  "  Ye  thought  evil  against  me, 
God  meant  it  unto  good."  In  most  cases,  however,  we 
never  receive  any  light  on  the  subject,  but  grow  old, 
remembering  in  l)itterness  the  injuries  that  our  fellow- 
men  have  done  us.  But  it  is  our  firm  belief  that  there, 
where  all  errors  vanish  ;  where  the  spirit  is  entirely 
freed  from  earthly  dross  ;  where  truth  shines  forth  in 
brightness — there  the  ways  of  Providence  will  become 
clear ;  there  shall  we  recognize  that  the  ha[)piness  and 
the  salvation  of  mankind  are  not  promoted  by  the  good, 
the  wise  and  the  uprigiit  alone,  but  that  all  men  assist 
in  the  work — the  good  because  such  is  their  desire,  and 
the  foolish  and  tiie  malicious,  because  they  must. 


"DEATH  AND  LIFE  ARE  IN  THE  POWER 
OF  THE  TONGUE." 

(Provebbs,  XVIII  :  21.) 
Gen.  XLI. 

The  turning-points  in  Joseph's  life  form  an  excellent 
illustration  of  the  wise  saying,  "  Death  and  life  are  in 
the  power  of  the  tongue." 

■ Joseph's  seventeenth  year  and  his  thirtieth  may  be 

looked  upon  as  critical  points  in  his  career.  In  his 
seventeenth  year,  he  was  on  his  way  to  the  misery  of 
slavery  and  captivity,  his  thirtieth  finds  him  scaling  the 
summit  of  earthly  honors.  In  each  case,  the  weak 
tongue  was  instrumental  in  bringing  about  the  crisis. 

^  In  ascribing  most  important  results  to  the  use  of  the^ 
<  tongue,  Solomon  does  not  refer  to  words  that  are  care- 
fully weighed  and  considered  before  they  are  spoken  ;  for 
in  that  case,  the  tongue  is  merely  the  irresponsible  in- 
strument of  the  mind.  The  text  refers  to  the  thought- 
less use  of  the  tongue,  which  is  like  the  undirected  play 
of  a  child.  Like  a  child,  it  causes  much  trouble,  and 
again  wins  all  hearts  by  its  artless  simplicity. 

In  another  one  of  his  sayings,  Solomon  explains  the 
meaning  of  this  dictum.  He  speaks  of  a  prattler,  a 
babbler,  who  is  like  a  careless  marksman  playing  with 
arrows;  yet,  while  working  havoc  and  destruction,  he 
declares  that  he  means  no  harm.  J 

A/ In  the  life  of  Joseph,  we  find  an  illustration  of  this 

184 


POWER   OF   THE  TONGUE.  185 

proverb.  Joseph  meditated  no  evil  against  his  brothers. 
It  was  no  fiiult  of  his  that  his  dreams  were  so  displeasing. 
It  was  his  misfortune  thoughtlessly  to  babble  of  them 
without  taking  counsel  with  his  heart  or  his  understand- 
ing. He  manifested  like  thoughtlessness  in  repeating 
his  brothers'  improper  talk.  He  reported  nothing  but 
the  truth.  Children  speak  the  truth  ;  but  they,  too,  tell 
it  with  the  tongue,  without  discretion  or  consideration. 

-^  Turning  to  the  change  for  the  better  in  Joseph's  for- 
tunes, we  again  find  his  lot  decided,  not  by  the  discretion 
but  by  the  thoughtlessness  of  his  speech. 

—  One  morning  Joseph  found  the  two  high  Egyptian 
oflBcials,  who  shared  his  dungeon,  much  depressed  in 
spirits.  His  good  nature  prompted  him  to  ask  the  cause 
of  their  sadness.  His  reason  did  not  urge  him  to  put  the 
fjuestion.  Joseph  was  no  physician,  neither  was  he  tiie 
friend  of  these  men.  It  was  his  habit  to  exchange  a 
friendly  word  with  every  one,  and  in  this  spirit,  he  put 
the  sympathetic  question,  which  really  meant  no  more 
than  our  "  How  do  you  do  ?"  Yet  it  was  precisely  this  glib 
word  of  Ilia  tongue  that  became  unto  him  the  word  of 
salvation.N  In  vain  did  Joseph  address  the  butler  in 
well-ciiosen  words,  when  tlie  latter  returned  to  fill  his 
high  position  ;  in  vain  his  explanation  of  the  injustice 
under  whicli  he  wjts  suHering ;  in  vain  did  lie  entreat 
his  late  fellow-prisoner  to  iiitcrced(!  willi  IMiaraoh  on  his 
behalf.  V  fl'cse  words  were  inspired  hv  liis  reason,  vet 
they  were  of  no  avail,  wliilc  the  careless,  f<jrgotten  "  How 
do  you  «lo?"  the  trii-k  of  his  tongue,  saved  his  life.  ^  Two 
years  after  the  wonls  were  spoken,  tiie  thoughtless  eour 
tesy  of  his  lips  sprouted  into  a  tree  of  lii'e  for  himself 
and  his  family. 


186  SABBATH   HOURS. 


"  Death  and  life  are  in  the  power  of  the  tongue,  and 
they  that  love  it  will  eat  its  fruit." 

Joseph  tasted  these  fruits,  the  bitter  and  the  sweet 
alike. 

From  his  story,  we  may  draw  the  general  inf(;rence 
that  the  heart  is  not  always  so  unfriendly,  nor  the  judg- 
ment so  severe  as  the  careless  tongue  would  proclaim. 

The  kind-hearted  and  pious  Joseph  would  have  been 
the  last  man  intentionally  to  wound  his  brothers  and  his 
parents,  but  his  unguarded  tongue  irritated  his  brothers, 
and  enkindled  their  wrath,  and  so  brought  misery  upon 
his  ftimily  and  himself. 

Do  we  not  all  know  men  like  Joseph,  kind  of  heart, 
but  cutting  of  speech  ?  A  bad  habit,  lazy  good  nature, 
and  the  dangerous  gift  of  wit,  all  seeking  expression  in 
conversation,  are  responsible  for  this  sharpness  of  speech. 
The  consciousness  that  no  ill-will  is  harbored  induces  a 
careless  use  of  stinging  words. 

A  clear  perception  of  this  trouble  may  be  useful  in 
teaching  us  two  things.  First  of  all,  we  ought  not  to 
weigh  sharp  words  on  too  delicate  and  accurate  a  scale. 
We  must  not  mistake  the  tongue  for  the  entire  man.  A 
person  may  be  a  Joseph  at  heart  and  yet  speak  with  the 
voice  of  Esau.  Again,  after  having  indulged  in  un- 
guarded language,  we  may  not  comfort  ourselves  with 
the  thought  that  our  intentions  are  good.  We  scarcely 
comprehend  our  own  hearts  fully ;  how,  then,  can  the 
world  be  expected  to  judge  us  according  to  our  hearts? 
The  opinion  of  the  world  is  based  upon  our  words. 

From  Joseph's  life  we  may  furthermore  draw  the 
lesson  that  any  word  of  ours  is  liable  to  light  upon  in- 
flammable  material,   which,    catching   fire,  may   work 


POWER   OF  THE  TONGUE.  187 

havoc  and  destruction,  though  we  had  meant  no  harm. 
In  the  In-ain  of  man,  much  thought  ferments  without  de- 
vehiping  into  definite  conclusions  or  ])ractieal  results. 
The  masses  wait  only  for  a  watchword  to  be  given  them, 
to  which  they  then  adhere  unquestioningly. 

In  one  hour  Joseph's  brothers,  swayed  by  the  sugges- 
tions of  successive  speakers,  changed  their  minds  three 
times.  Their  feelings  were  roused  to  enmity  against 
their  brother,  but  the  decision  necessary  for  action  w^as 
wanting.  "  Lot  us  kill  him  !"  "  Yes,  he  shall  die  !" 
"  We  will  ca.<t  him  into  the  pit!"  "Away  with  him  to 
the  pit!"    "  We  will  sell  him  !"     "  Yes,  let  him  be  sold!" 

Remember,  therefore,  your  words  spoken  in  the  fam- 
ily, in  the  pulpit,  in  the  halls  of  legislation,  in  society, 
without  thought  of  harm,  may  be  harmful  in  their  con- 
se(juencrx. 

Not  death  alone,  also  life  lies  in  tlie  ])owor  of  the 
tongue. 

Many  a  slandered  man  wraps  himself  in  the  cloak 
of  liis  innocence,  too  proud  to  clear  himself,  although 
before  one  word  of  explanation,  evil  opinion  with  all  its 
evil  c<^)ns<;fjuences  wouM  vanish.  ( )tlicrs,  again,  lack  the 
courage  to  speak  a  good  word  at  the  right  time,  if  that 
word  opposes  tlie  current  of  general  oj)iiiion.  Reuben 
gives  us  an  example  of  such  cowardice.  IIc^  would 
gladly  have  returned  Joseph  uniniured  to  his  father, 
but  he  li:id  not  the  courage  to  speak  the  word  tluil  would 
have  saved  him.  To<t  late  he  revealed  his  true  feeling 
in  the  matter — when  lie  found  the  pit  empty  and  Joseph 
sold.  His  tongue  had  not  uttere*!  the  right  word  boMlv 
at  the  right  moment. 

llavf!  the  courage  to  proclaim  y<Hir (jj)inion  opcinly  and 


188  SABBATH    HOURS. 

without  disguise.  Care  not  how  high  the  waves  of  op- 
posing opinion  may  run,  if,  by  your  courage,  you  may 
aid  a  good  cause,  prevent  harm,  or  he  helpful  to  inno- 
cence. 

-The  Talmud  makes  Balaam,  Job  and  Jethro  take 
counsel  together  as  to  the  fate  of  Israel.  The  one  spoke 
in  favor  of  its  preservation,  the  other  of  its  destruction. 
Job  timidly  held  his  peace.  For  this  silence,  it  is  said, 
he  .atoned  by  his  well-known  sufferings. 
^Tliere  are  many  such  Jobs  to-day,  Avho,  through  timid- 
ity or  through  ftilse  modesty,  are  silent  at  times  at  which 
it  would  be  proper  for  them  to  speak. 

Finally,  Joseph's  story  should  teach  us  the  worth  of 
a  tongue  accustomed  to  friendly  speech  in  intercourse 
with  our  fellow-men.  Language  is  not  meant  to  serve 
merely  as  a  vehicle  for  conveying  our  ideas,  but  in  our 
associations,  it  is  to  perform  the  office  of  oil  between  the 
parts  of  machinery  that  rub  against  each  other.  Lan- 
guage does  not  offer  us  only  the  threshed  grains  of 
wheat,  but  straw  and  chaff"  as  well ;  not  the  fruit  of 
thought  alone,  but  also  beautiful,  variegated  leaves  and 
blossoms.  Language  is  a  fully  developed  plant,  not 
merely  its  fruit. 

Were  nothing  to  be  sjioken  but  the  words  necessary 
for  human  intercourse,  life  on  eartii  would  be  very 
quiet.  The  world  would  be  a  vast  cloister  of  Trappists. 
Easy,  pleasant  conversation,  maintained  by  the  expendi- 
ture of  but  a  very  small  percentage  of  thought,  forms 
part  of  the  amenities  of  existence. 

The  question  put  by  Joseph  to  his  fellow-prisoners 
l)elongs  to  this  class  of  speeches,  the  offspring  of  the 
tongue,  not  of  the   brain.     The  greatest  wisdom,  the 


POWER   OF   THE   TONGUE.  180 

most  remarkable  fluency  of  speech,  could  not  have 
(ij^ned  the  prison  doors  for  the  innocent  man.  An 
empty,  thoughtless  phrase,  a  word  of  mere  courtesy,  led 
him  from  the  dungeon  to  the  throne. 

Our  sages,  in  recommending  strongly  the  use  of  the 
most  plea.sing  and  the  choicest  expressions,  refer  to  the 
passage  in  the  Bible,  which  reads,  "  Of  every  clean 
beast  ....  and  of  beasts  that  are  not  clean." 
In  this  verse,  in  order  to  avoid  the  uncTSthetic  word 
nsoo,  unclean,  four  words  arc  used  in  paraphrase  of  this 
term.  Let  us,  too,  eschew  all  harsh  expressions  in  our 
daily  conversation. 

One  of  our  greatest  teachers  exultingly  mentions,  as 
the  ripest  evidence  of  his  worldly  wisdom,  the  fact  that 
no  one  had  ever  anticipated  him  in  greetinir,  not  even  a 
heathen  or  a  child— not  the  meanest  of  mortals  with 
whom  he  had  come  in  contact  in  life. 

How  many  of  us  gathered  together  in  this  house  have 
brought  cloufk  into  our  lives  by  a  thoughtless  word 
or  through  disregard  of  a  friendly  form  of  greeting! 
Others,  again,  may  be  living  comfortably  in  tlic  sunshine 
of  prosperity  through  the  aid  of  friendship,  which  all 
uneonscious  they  have  won  by  means  of  a  iielpiug  liaiul. 

NVe  arc  apt  to  think  that  "  liic  and  dcatli  "  must 
depend  upon  great  and  (lilli<iilt  exertions,  earnest  labor 
ami  deep  thought,  while  in  reality,  a  word  rn'|ii(iitly 
forms  the  delicate  hinge  upon  wliicli  our  fortunes  turn. 

We  must  cultivate  not  only  the  feelings  of  the  heart 
and  the  jwwers  of  the  miinl.  Let  us  also  accustom 
the  tongue  to  speak  words  of  kindness,  of  gentleness,  of 
courtesy — for  "  Deatii  and  life  are  in  the  power  of  the 
tongue." 


HOME  INFLUENCE. 

"  Joseph  recognized  his  brothers,  but  they  recognized  not  him."— Gen. 
XLII:  8. 

Family  life  is  like  a  light-house.  The  occupants  see 
the  ships  leave  the  harbor,  and  follow  them  -with  their 
eyes,  until  the  last  sail  is  lost  to  sight  below  the  horizon. 
In  the  darkness  of  night,  the  crew  of  many  a  vessel,  far 
out  on  the  waste  of  waters,  peers  eagerly  into  the  dark- 
ness to  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  tower,  one  ray  from  whose 
lantern  will  inspire  the  men  Avith  renewed  hope  and 
strength.  The  Avatchers  in  the  tower  rest  secure  in  their 
accustomed  places,  though  wind  and  wave  may  beat 
about  the  house.  They  are  safe  and  at  rest.  They 
know  not  of  the  fearful  hearts  of  the  sailors,  whose  eyes 
are  strained  anxiously  towards  the  tower  with  its  lamp 
of  rescue. 

So,  when  one  member  of  a  family  takes  leave  of  his 
home,  there  is  sorrow  on  both  sides  ;  the  one  departing 
and  those  left  at  home  are  filled  with  sadness.  But  as 
<lays,  weeks  and  years  pass  by,  although  the  absent  one 
be  not  forgotten,  and  though  he  be  recalled  to  mind 
occasionally,  yet  he  is  no  longer  constantly  in  the 
thoughts  of  those  still  at  home.  Life  at  the  homestead 
goes  on  in  its  usual  way,  even  though  there  is  one  less 
in  the  family  circle.  As  for  the  one  that  has  left  home, 
if  the  sun  of  fortune  smiles  upon  him,  and  his  ship  of 

190 


HOME   INFLUENCE.  191 

life,  laden  with  rich  cargo,  sails  through  calm  seas,  he, 
too,  may,  for  a  time,  not  think  of  the  loved  ones  whom 
he  has  left  behind,  as  the  mariner  does  not  look  anx- 
iously for  the  tower  with  its  cheerful  lamp,  when  the 
light  of  day  is  about  him,  and  the  weather  is  clear  and 
bright.  The  son  and  daughter  may,  however,  fall  upon 
evil  days  while  in  a  strange  land  ;  the  dark  night  of 
despair  may  reign  in  their  hearts ;  merciless  fate  may 
hem  them  in,  leaving  no  way  of  escape.  AVhen  such 
days  come,  the  fearful  heart  seeks  the  paternal  roof, 
the  home  of  love  and  sympathy,  of  kindness  and  benig- 
nity, the  home  of  happy,  youthful  days.  Imagination 
overcomes  the  obstacles  of  land  and  sea,  which  may 
separate  the  child  from  home,  and  fancy  conjures  uj)  a 
picture  of  tlie  days  sp-^jit  uiider  parental  care.  Home 
is  the  ligiit-house  whicii  the  ciiild  seeks  with  deep  long- 
ing,, when  surrounded  by  the  darkness  of  night,  when 
driven  by  the  fury  of  the  storm. ,  At  home,  on  the  other 
hand,  the  days  pass  quietly  and  monotonously  in  blissful 
ignorance  of  the  misery  of  the  absent  ones,  whose  hearts, 
weighed  down  by  troul)le  and  distress,  beat  yearningly 
at  tlic  thought  of  home. 

How  fervently,  from  the  very  depths  of  liis  soul,  Jo- 
sc[)h  nuist  liave  calh-d  n|)on  his  father  on  that  drcadiiil 
dav  in  the  pit  I  I  he  lU-.iv,  shcitcn^d  home,  now  h»st  to 
him  forever,  must  liave  seemed  a  veritable  licaven.  On 
his  way  to  Egypt,  in  his  career  as  a  sl.ive.  Inter  when 
wasting  the  best  years  of  his  life  in  prison,  though  inno- 
cent of  anv  crime,  how  frecpiently,  in  blessed  dreams,  in 
thought,  in  desire,  in  reverie  and  imagination,  he  must 
have  been  transported  to  the  home  of  liis  youth  !  Its 
memory  ever  remained  fresh  within  hini.     Later,  when 


192  SABBATH   HOURS. 

his  fortunes  changed  for  the  lietter,  when  his  first  son  was 
born  to  him,  lie  named  the  child  Meuasseh,  which  means 
to  forget,  "  For,"  said  he,  "  God  hath  made  me  forget  all 
my  toil  and  all  my  father's  house."  This  very  incident 
shows,  however,  that  he  had  not  forgotten  his  "  father's 
house,"  for  on  that  happiest  of  days,  when  giving  his  son 
a  name,  he  showed  by  the  name  that  he  remembered  the 
home  of  his  youth.  It  was,  therefore,  natural  that  Joseph 
should  recognize  his  brothers.  In  si)irit  he  had  been  at 
home  ^o  frequently  that  his  family  had  not  become  strange 
to  him.  They,  however,  recognized  him  not.  The  ex- 
planation usually^  given  for  this  circumstance  is  that 
Joseph  was  almost  a  child  when  he  left  home,  and  when 
his  brothers  saw  him  again,  he  had  become  a  man.  But 
Benjamin  was  even  younger  than  Joseph  ;  Gad  and 
Asher  were  but  little  older ;  even  Reuben,  the  oldest  of 
all,  was  only  thirteen  years  older  than  Joseph,  and  never- 
theless Joseph  recognized  them  all.  Tiie  high  position 
in  which  his  brothei's  found  him  may,  it  is  true,  have 
made  recognition  more  difficult ;  Imt  even  this  circum- 
stance could  not  have  obscured  the  memory  of  features 
once  well  known  to  them.  As  observed  before,  the  one 
leaving  home  is  easily  forgotten,  his  memory  fades  away 
quickly,  while  the  recollection  of  the  loved  ones  at  home 
is  never  effaced  from  the  mind  of  the  absent  one.  Jo- 
seph's memory  must,  furthermore,  have  been  a  bitter 
reproach  to  his  brothers,  so  that,  far  from  cherishing 
remembrance  of  him,  they  rather  sought  to  keep  him 
away  from  their  thoughts. 

Oh,  Avell  beloved  home !  Happy  family  life !  Thou 
paradise  of  our  childhood  and  youth !  Who  that  has 
tainted  of  thy  joys  can  e'er  forget  thee!     He,  whom  fate 


HOME    INFLUENCE.  193 

has  too  soon  driven  from  the  paradise  of  youth,  or  who 
has  early  been  deprived  of  its  guardians,  he  knows 
not  of  how  much  of  the  happiness  of  life  he  has  been 
robbed4as  little  as  the  Esquimau  can  understand  how 
greatly  his  dull,  gray  sky  would  suffer  by  comparison 
with  the  heaven  that  smiles  upon  the  land  of  the  citron. 
Even  though  years  have  passed  since  we  left  the  home 
of  our  youth,  though  it  exist  no  longer,  and  wc  our- 
selves preside  over  homes  as  fathers  and  mothers,  with 
cliildren  confided  to  our  care — its  memory  is  always 
dear  to  us,  the  recollection  of  the  happy  youth  spent 
witliin  its  walls  is  ever  a  delight  to  the  soul. 
-  Wlien  Joseph  was  temjited  by  sin,  lie  said,  "  How 
then  can  T  do  this  great  evil,  and  sin  against  God?" 
This  was  the  influence  of  his  recollections  of  home,  a 
warning  voice  from  the  home  penetrated  by  the  fear  of 
the  Lord.  Our  sages  say  that  the  revered  face  of  his 
father  was  thrust  between  Joseph  and  sin,  and  that  thus 
he  was  kept  from  doing  evil.  What  better  guardian  can 
a  young  man  take  with  liim  int(i  a  strange  land  than  tlie 
memory  of  the  sanctuary  (jf  home,  tlie  memory  of  liis 
father  and  mother?  |  When  a  child  in  a  distant  hind 
has  taken  the  first  step  toward  committing  a  sin,  and  his 
own  self-respect  no  hmgcr  holds  him  in  check,  then 
there  comes  over  him  ihc  rtincinliraiicc  of  his  parents. 
"  What  woidd  they  say,  were  tliey  to  know  of  my  evil 
ways?  II<»w  sLshamed  of  me  they  wouM  hoi  How 
they  wouhl  grieve  over  my  fall!" 

Father  and   mother  must,  therefore,  make  the  family 

life  one  of  peace  and   harmony.     Nothing  does  more  tt) 

mar  the  ha[»|»ines.s  of"  ehihlren,  nothing  makes  the  nv 

membrance  of  h<»nie  more  painful,  than  diseord  Itetwcen 

14 


194  SABBATH   HOURS. 

father  and  mother.  ^lake  your  house  a  pleasant  abode 
for  your  childreu  according  to  the  means  at  your  dis- 
posal. ("Not  plenty  and  show,  but  kindness  and  love 
everywhere  perceptible  make  home  a  happy  place ;  their 
presence  is  felt  in  the  very  air  of  the  house,  in  the 
j)leasant  relations  existing  among  the  various  members 
of  the  householdr) 

If  the  recollection  of  home  is  to  be  an  active,  blessed 
memory,  the  father  must  not  only  have  a  house,  the 
house  must  also  have  a  fother  and  a  mother,  who  are  a 
])art  of  it,  (not  ever  on  the  streets,  in  company,  attend- 
ing to  business,  seeking  pleasure  and  distraction  of  all 
kinds'^  "Home"  means  father  and  mother  living  in 
the  midst  of  their  children.  The  memory  of  a  youth 
spent  amid  such  associations  does  not  die  out  in  the 
hearts  of  the  children,  and,  as  with  Joseph,  an  absence 
of  twenty-two  years  cannot  efface  the  recollection  of 
home.  Where  there  are  SHch  memories,  brother  will 
not  say  to  brother,  "  I  do  not  know  you !"  "  Joseph 
recognized  his  brothers."  Their  likenesses,  their  remem- 
brance had  never  departed  from  him.  In  spite  of  all  the 
unkindness  that  had  come  between  them,  he  felt  himself 
at  one  with  them. 

A  child's  pleasantest  recollections  of  home — pleasant 
and  yet  earnest  enough  to  be  deeply  graven  upon  its 
mind — are,  after  all,  those  of  the  piety  of  the  family  life, 
especially  of  the  solemn  and  joyous  festivities,  attendant 
upon  Sabbaths  and  Holy  Days.  Even  though  the  pa- 
rents feel  but  coldly  towards  these  celebrations,  they 
have  no  right  to  deny  the  enjoyment  thereof  to  their 
children.  To  compass  this  end,  cliildren  may  be  denied 
some  pleasures  during  the  week,  so  that  indulgence  in 


HOME   INFLUENCE.  197 

them  on  the  Holy  Day  may  make  tlie  season  addition- 
ally pleasant  by  aid  of  sensuous  delights. 

It  is  useless  to  speak  to  the  men  of  these  things.  They 
go  on  in  their  own  way,  heedless  of  words  of  advice.  The 
■  mothers,  however,  should  consider  it  a  sacred  duty  to 
impress  upon  their  children  the  true  delight  of  the  day 
of  rest  properly  celebrated,  and  of  joyful  festivals, 
and  weave  the  memory  of  such  days  into  the  child's 
recollections  of  home.  A  son  whose  home  was  never 
more  to  him  than  an  eating  house,  whose  father  was 
simply  his  provider,  whose  mother,  the  lady  of  the  house, 
will  not  be  the  one  to  exclaim  in  the  hour  of  temptation, 
"  How  then  can  I  do  this  great  evil,  and  sin  against 
God !"  God  forms  no  part  of  his  childish  recollections, 
and  the  moral  fear  of  such  a  father  and  such  a  mother 
is  not  a  sufficiently  active  memory  to  deter  him  from 
sin. 

As  your  children  are  dear  to  you,  oh,  jiarents!  make 
your  home-life  jjleasant  ami  attractive.  Mingle  inno- 
cent, sensuous  delights  with  religious  earnestness,  so  that 
the  remembrance  of  home  may  lie  a  blessed  memory  to 
your  children  throughout  life! 


1^ 


EXISTENCE  AND  LIFE. 

"And  Jacob  said  unto  Pharaoh,  The  days  of  the  years  of  my  pilgrimage 
are  one  hundred  and  thirty  years  :  few  and  evil  have  been  the  days 
of  the  years  of  my  life,  and  I  have  not  attained  unto  the  days  of 
the  years  of  the  life  of  my  fathers  in  the  days  of  their  pilgrimage." 
—Gen.  XLVII  :  9. 

Even  ill  the  time  of  Jacob,  one  hundred  and  thirty 
years  Avei-e  no  short  span  of  life  ;  besides,  Jacob  was  still 
alive,  and  might  hoj^e  to  attain  as  great  an  age  as  his 
forefathers,  and  perchance  live  longer  than  they.  It  is 
also  difficult  to  see  the  force  of  Jacob's  remark  as  a  reply 
to  Pharaoh's  question. 

Were  a  question  like  that  of  Pharaoh  to  Jacob  to  be 
put  to  one  of  us,  we  should  find  it  easy  to  answer,  easier 
than  Jacob,  because  we  should  not  have  to  glance  over  a 
series  of  one  hundred  and  thirty  birthday-anniversaries, 
in  order  to  make  a  reply.  Such,  however,  is  the  case 
only  when  the  question  is  merely  about  the  length  of 
existence.  If  we  are  asked  about  the  length  of  time 
during  which  we  have  enjoyed  life ;  if  we  subtract  from 
the  days  of  the  years  of  our  pilgrimage,  the  time  that 
we  have  spent  in  idle  dreaming ;  that  we  have  frivolously 
wasted ;  the  time  passed  by  us  in  trouble  and  distress,  in 
dread  and  anxiety ;  those  long  periods,  the  wishes  and 
hopes  and  labor  of  which  ended  in  bitter  disappointment ; 
if  we  deduct  all  these  items  from  the  sum  of  the  days 
of  our  lives,  we  should  have  to  cast  up  the  aggregate  of 

196 


EXISTENCE   AND   LIFE.  197 

the  periods  of  our  lives  remaining,  before  giving  tlie 
actual  number  of  years  that  we  have  lived. 

In  this  spirit,  Jacob  replied  to  Pharaoh :  "  You  ask 
about  the  length  of  my  existence?  The  years  of  my 
pilgrimage  in  various  lands  are  one  hundred  and  thirty; 
but  how  long  have  I  really  lived?  To  that  question,  I 
cannot  give  you  an  answer.  The  sum  of  my  life,  in  the 
best  sense  of  that  word,  is  very  snuill.  In  these  one 
hundred  and  thirty  years,  I  have  lived  but  little.  INIy 
father  and  my  grandfatlier  saw  better  days.  They  lived 
more  than  I  in  the  years  of  their  sojourn  upon  earth." 

Even  the  bright  spots  in  his  existence,  the  short 
period  in  which  he  really  lived,  Jacob  calls  evil. 

Men  upon  a  low  plane  of  culture,  lacking,  as  they 
frequently  are,  in  self-knowledge,  lament  bitterly,  when 
days  of  distress  come  upon  them.  They  possess  a  sooth- 
ing balm,  however,  for  their  suffering — they  throw  off 
all  responsibility,  and  rail  against  man  and  Providence 
aa  the  cause  of  their  trouble.  When  good  times  return, 
they  enjoy  them,  and  that  without  allowing  self-accusa- 
tion to  mar  tli<«ir  jileasure. 

L'pon  a  highci-  level  of  culture  and — what  is  synony- 
mous with  it — ofself-analysisaudsell-comprehensioii.iiK'U 
bear  sorrow  (piietly  and  with  resignation.  They  neither 
reproach  riovidcnce,  nor  attril)ute  tin  ir  luisfortune  to 
the  malice  of  wicked  men.  Th(!y  recognize  that  the  root 
of  most  of  the  evils  that  plague  us  lies  in  ourselves. 
The  consciousness  oi'  our  own  culpaliilily  hangs  like  u 
gray  mist  even  over  the  bright  spots  of  life. 

A  glance  at  the  career  of  Jacfjb  nuiy  show  us  tiie  justi- 
fication for  his  complaint  about  the  short  duration  of 
his  life,  ori  well  as  for  liis  acute  coiiscioiisuess  of  hi-  own 
culpability. 


198  SABBATH   HOURS. 

Esau  and  Jacob  were  born  at  the  same  time.  In 
temperament  they  were  the  very  opposites  of  each  other. 
"  The  children  struggled  together  within  "  Rebekah. 
You  who  have  brothers  and  sisters,  kind,  loving  and 
self-sacrificing  ;  you  who  dwell  together  in  brotherly  and 
sisterly  love,  throw  no  stone  of  condemnation  upon 
Jacob,  because  of  the  unfraternal  relations  between  him 
and  his  brother,  because  the  deceit  plotted  by  the  one 
aroused  murderous  thoughts  in  the  soul  of  the  other. 
Remember,  your  brother  is  not  an  Esau  !  In  counting 
up  the  days  of  his  life,  Jacob  had  to  strike  out  the  days 
spent  in  the  home  of  his  youth.  Home  becomes  a  verit- 
able hell,  when  it  is  the  theatre  of  deadly  enmity  between 
brothers. 

Another  cloud  obscured  the  brightness  of  Jacob's 
early  days.  His  parents  were  not  in  harmony  in  regard 
to  the  education  of  their  cliildren.  In  painting  scenes 
and  characters,  the  Bible  does  not  lay  on  the  colors 
heavily.  In  a  few  light  and  seemingly  accidental 
strokes,  a  picture  is  placed  before  us.  In  this  narrative, 
we  read  simply,  "  Isaac  loved  Esau,  but  Rebekah  loved 
Jacob."  This  is  the  theme.  It  needs  no  genius,  no 
rich  fancy  to  compose  the  variations  upon  it,  and  every 
variation  of  the  numberless  ones  possible  will  be  sad. 
Every  child  whose  youthful  recollections  are  of  parental 
strife  and  discord,  may,  like  Jacob,  strike  out  the  years 
of  his  childhood  from  his  book  of  life. 

Jacob  was  placed  in  these  unfortunate  circumstances, 
he  was  in  nowise  responsible  for  them.  The  good  man, 
however,  always  sees  cause  for  self-reproach  in  the  trials 
and  tribulations  of  life. 

No  one  can  be  asked  to  enter  into  a  bond  of  friend- 


EXISTENCE   AND   LIFE.  199 

ship  with  a  man  like  Esau,  but  it  is  a  brother's  duty  to 
manifest  a  brotherly  spirit  even  towards  an  Esau.  No 
matter  how  difficult  it  may  be  to  continue  in  fraternal  rela- 
tions with  your  brother,  you  dai-e  not  give  him  up.  It  is 
not  for  yoit  to  break  loose  from  him.  Others  may  criti- 
cise your  brother  harshly,  and  treat  him  as  he  deserves 
to  be  treated;  your  judgment  is  not  free,  your  course 
toward  him  is  marked  out  to  you  by  the  tie  of  blood 
between  you. 

Jacob's  life  after  he  left  the  paternal  roof  was  a  mere 
existence — an  existence  full  of  thorns.  His  work  was 
heavy  and  momentous.  After  the  toil  of  the  day  was 
over,  he  did  not  find  rest  and  inspiration  in  the  circle 
of  his  loved  ones.  No;  dislike,  mistrust  and  envy  met 
him  on  the  threshold  of  home :  he  encountered  every- 
where glances  of  reproach  and  contempt.  This  exist- 
ence finally  ended  in  secret  flight. 

A  life  passed  among  kinsfolk  is  an  enviable  lot.  As 
every  tree  in  the  forest  is  sheltered  from  the  elements  by 
those  about  it,  while  the  solitary  tree  in  the  open  field 
is  broken  by  the  storm,  .so  we  are  protected  by  loviug 
relatives,  ever  ready  with  help  and  sympathy.  But  how 
Bad  the  sight  of  kinsmen  at  enmity  with  one  another! 
The  wrath  of  the  offendcfl  kin-iiKin  is  more  piussionatc 
than  that  of  another,  his  stroke  is  surer,  more  fiercely 
burns  the  wound  inflicted  by  him. 

Whoever  has,  like  .Jacob,  lived  at  variance  with  liis 
relatives,  or  in  his  business  relations,  has  daily  had  to 
bear  with  ill-will  from  tlioso  a.><S()ciated  with  him,  may 
strike  out  those  years  of  hia  existence,  a.s  a  time  during 
which  he  has  not  lived. 

Again,  it  was  not  Jacob's  fault  that  lie  had  so  shrewd 


200  SABBATH   HOUKS. 

and  slippery  a  man  as  Laban  to  deal  with  in  bis  family 
and  business  relations.  Nevertbeless,  be  could  not  but 
reproach  himself  for  finding  no  better  way  out  of  his 
difficulty  than  to  meet  cunning  with  cunning,  and  to 
employ  deceit  and  flight  in  severing  his  connection  with 
the  brother  of  his  mother  and  the  father  of  his  wives. 

Accompanying  Jacob  upon  his  homeward  journey,  we 
see  his  constant  fear  of  the  meeting  with  his  brother ; 
the  misfortune  of  his  only  daughter ;  the  critical  posi- 
tion iu  which  he  was  placed  by  the  uncontrollable  pas- 
sion of  his  sons,  Simeon  and  Levi ;  the  early  death  of  his 
beloved  Rachel ;  the  discord  among  his  children,  which 
he  saw  breaking  out  again  in  his  house  like  an  heredi- 
tary evil,  and  finally  the  twenty-two  years  of  grief  for 
the  supposed,  horril)le  death  of  his  favorite.  We  should 
far  exceed  the  proper  limit  of  time  for  our  discourse, 
were  we  to  discuss  all  these  points  so  minutely  as  to 
show  how  they  illustrate  the  text. 

The  general  meaning  of  the  text  is,  however,  clear  to 
us.  It  teaches  us  the  difference  between  existence,  "  the 
days  of  the  years  of  my  pilgrimage,"  and  life,  "the 
days  of  the  years  of  my  life." 

Our  text  contains  .Jacob's  self-accusation.  Man  is  per- 
mitted to  judge  himself  according  to  a  severe  standard. 
Jacob  scorned  to  acquit  himself  of  wrong-doing  by  urg- 
ing the  untoward  circumstances  under  which  fate  had 
])laced  him. 

The  Bible  records  the  age  of  the  departed  Patriarch 
in  these  words,  "  the  days  of  Jacob,  the  years  of  his  life, 
were  one  hundred  and  forty-seven  years." 

In  the  sight  of  the  all- wise  Father,  Jacob  had  lived 
thidULihout  his  whole  existence.     AVhat  seemed  as  lost 


EXISTENCE   AND   LIFE.  201 

to  liiiii,  the  bitter  trials  and  the  oppressions  of  his  heart, 
were  the  birth-throes  of  his  soul,  his  training  for  a 
higher  destiny. 

In  the  economy  of  nature,  there  is  change  of  form, 
but  never  absolute  loss;  so,  too,  in  the  domain  of  the 
moral  actions  of  mankind.  That  which  is  our  greatest 
trial,  if  considered  by  itself,  may,  in  the  complete  plan, 
prove  a  beneficent  disjjensation,  though  we  frequently 
lack  the  insight  to  see  it  in  its  proper  light. 

Whenever,  oh  man  !  you  succumb  in  honest  contest 
with  fate,  remember  that  your  failure  is  that  of  a  mor- 
tal, whose  weaknesses  and  imperfections  are  well  known 
to  him,  who  has  made  you  as  you  are;  in  wlmse  spirit 
the  Holy  Scriptures  testify  concerning  Jacol),  "  He 
lived  full  one  hundred  and  forty-seven  years." 


IMMORTALITY. 

Gen.  XLIX. 

"  There  are  more  things  in  heaven  and  earth  than  are  dreamt  of  in 
our  philosophy." 

Shakspere's  profound  observation  that  there  are  "things 
in  heaven  and  earth,"  of  which  man  has  no  knowledge, 
does  not  refer  to  those  natural  forces  which  reason  has 
as  yet  failed  to  comprehend,  though  undoubtedly  true 
also  of  them,  \)\it  to  a  spiritual  world,  whose  nature  can 
be  grasped  neither  by  physical  perception  nor  by  the 
finest  powers  of  the  human  intellect,  a  world  whose  bor- 
derland we  may  tread  but  in  dreams  and  vague  presenti- 
ment. 

In  our  discussion  of  this  proposition  in  regard  to 
"  things  in  heaven  and  earth,"  we  shall  try  not  to  soar 
into  high  and  unaccustomed  spheres,  but  shall  remain  as 
near  earth  as  possible,  dealing  with  those  problems  that 
obstruct  the  path  of  every  thinking  being. 

Let  our  text  be  the  assertion  of  our  sages :  "  The 
patriarch  Jacol)  did  not  die." 

Jacob  went  down  into  Egypt  with  seventy  followers. 
During  his  seventeen  years'  sojourn  in  that  land,  this 
number  must  have  increased  considerably..  Nevertheless 
they  continued  to  form  one  family.  The  dying  patriarch 
was  as  ever  its  head,  holding  all  its  members  together. 
To  his  three  oldest  sons,  themselves  advanced  in  years,  he 

202 


IMMORTALITY.  203 

addresses  stern  words  of  reproach.  He  takes  from  the 
oldest  son  the  highly-prized  birthright,  and  no  one  ven- 
tures to  remonstrate,  much  less  to  gainsay  his  decision. 

Families  are  not  held  together  by  the  force  of  reason 
If  such  were  the  power  of  reason,  if  intelligence  could 
bind  together  the  various  members  of  a  family,  our  hoUl 
on  family  life  would  be  as  strong  to-day  as  it  was  in 
Jacob's  time.  We  have  lost  nothing  of  intellectual 
power  siiice  his  time ;  neither  has  the  faculty  of  reason- 
ing been  taken  from  us.  Nevertheless,  it  would  be  im- 
possible for  twelve  large  households,  with  children  and 
grandchildren,  to  hold  together  as  one  family.  It  is 
•  lilficult  nowadays  for  the  adults  of  a  single  household 
to  look  upon  themselves  as  one  body.  The  more  ex- 
tended the  power  of  the  intellect,  the  nn-re  limited  the 
range  of  that  sul>tle  "  in  heaven  and  earth"  which  we 
do  not  understand.  Among  these  things  must  be 
reckoned  the  recognition  of  the  ties  of  kindred  even  in 
the  limited  degree  in  which  it  exists  to-day. 

No  one  can  have  failed  to  observe  that  the  most  intel- 
ligent are  not  the  most  obedient  nor  the  most  niYoo- 
ti  on  ate  as  diildren^iot  the  most  faithful  ii^'ccTiijii^al; 
relations^  Hot  the  most  self-sacrificing  as  fathei-s  and 
iiiotliers — in  short,  not  the  ones  most  cognizant  of  the 
clainiH  of  kinsliip.  Hiocthe's  correspondence  witli  liis  ^ 
mother  wa.s  carried  on  through  a  valet^  Mose^ expected'''^ 
the  mns  of  Levi,  whom  he  had  phiccd  in  tlie  exalted 
jmsition  of  teachci-s  and  guides  of  th(!  pcitplc,  to  have 
sufficient  strength  of  soul  t<»  disregard  tlieir  feelings  for 
jiarcnts,  for  children  and  kinsmen,  if  necessity  demanded 
the  sacrifice,  y^f  we  wish  to  see  true  lieauty  of  family  life, 
tenderness  in  parents,  obedience  in  children,  warmth  of 


204  SABBATH   HOURS. 

affection  for  kindred,  we  must  not  ascend  too  high  in 
the  strata  of  intelligence. 

^~  The  old  world  can  boast  of  an  entire  class  of  men  of 
su])reme  culturej^with  whom,  in  the  United  States,  only 
individuals,  not  a  class,  may  bear  comparison.  Never- 
theless,^  as  a  whole,/1>lie  people  of  this  country  may  be 
considered  the  most  intelligent  among  the  nations  of  the 
earth,^  or  rather,  we  may  say,  this  country  has  the 
smallest  number  of  uneducated  and  narrow-minded 
citizens  in  proportion  to  its  population.  But,  on  the 
other  hand,  it  must   be  said,   a^iilling   indifference,^ 

Xpenetrating  the  very  heart  of  the  people,, characterizes 
its  family  life.  \The  American  can  not  be  denied 
credit  for   unexampled   nobility  and   public   spirit   in 

^generous  gifts  to  charitable  and  educational  institutions, 
but  the  lack  of  warmth  in  family  relations  may  perhaps 
be  one  of  the  causes  of  this  extraordinary  liberality/ 
The  fortunes  of  his  heirs  after  his  death   trouble   an 
American  but  little. 

^  It  is  not  agreeable  to  contemplate  the  consequence 
of  the  stronger  family  feeling  existing  among  the  Jews 
— less  readiness  in  making  great  sacrifices  for  the  com- 
mon good  ;  (Tudah  Touro  has  as  yet  had  no  successoiO 

Intellect  is,  therefore,  an  obstructing  rather  than  a 
fostering  element  in  the  recognition  of  the  claims  of 
kindred,  ijnion  may  exist  among  the  members  of  a 
family,  even  though  there  be  no  sympathy  among  them, 
no  harmony  in  inclinations  of  mind  and  heartT^There 
must,  therefore,  be  some  common  --^oal  element  in  the 
family,  nanded  down  from  dead  and  gone  ancestors,  , 
.sometimes  tracing  its  origin  far  into  the  past,  ^  which 
makes  the  descendants  of  a  common  stock  feel  a  bond 
of  kinship  uniting  them. 


IMMORTALITY. 


"^  Such  is  the  subtle  bond  thrown  ab( 
In  spite  of  our  patriotism  for  the  lant 
dwell :  in  epT^fff  our  intimate  association^ 
fessors  of  other  faiths  ;  in  spite  of  the  differ^ 
us,  in   culture,  in  religious  opinions  and  A  ^..e 

•-Israelites, ,  scattered  over  the  whole  earth,^  a^  we  are, 

-possess  a  common  "  something '[  inexplicable  by  reason, 
a  prevailing  family  feature,  something  that  reason  neither 
grasps  nor  courts.  ^Jacob  is  not  dead.'|  ^Tacob's  soul 
\  continues  with  his  family  in  immortal  life.^  The  soul 
of  Jacob  is  not  exceptional.  I'he  souls  of  all  of  us 
"^continue  to  live  in  our  descfendants.  ^  Our  fathers  and 
mothers  live  on  in  us^and  our  spiritual  characteristics 
are  transmitted  to  our  grandchildren  and  great-grand- 
children.^ This  truth  is  a  ray  of  immortality  itself    , 

— ^The  proof  of  the  existence  of  a  life  fur  removed  from 
the  earthly  life  of  reason;, of  a  life  unfathomed  by  the 
"■^understanding,  Jies  in  the  very  stronghold  of  the  intel- 
lect, namely,  in  science."^  Can  mere  reason  explain  Iiow 
it  is  that  man  gives  up  his  whole  life  to  the  cause  of 
science?     Dws  common-seme  ever  make  such  a  demand 


upon  man  ? 


How  many  men  of  noble  diaracter  and  high  attain- 
ments, while  seeking  to  extend  the  donuiin  of  kuMwl- 
edge,  have   met  their  death  in   the   i<y   regions  of  the 

N,  Pole,  ill  tlie  swamps  and  sands  of  Africa!,  But  no 
matter  how  many  nuiy  thus  pcrishj^the  iiiiml)er  remains 

"^^ great  of  tliosf  that,  undctcrrc'l  by  the  fate  of  the  pio- 
neers, foUow  ill  their  footsteps.  How  many  (-^t+^tkaaix  of 
learning  have   languished   in   attics,  and   have,  finally, 

■"^perished  in  the  act  of  ennching  science  with  the  result 
of  their   labors!      Such    plienoiiKiia    may  be   included 


Ct\)Q  SABBATH  HOURS. 

among  the  "  things  in  heaven  and  earth,"  beyond  the 
comprehension  of  reason. 

—  In  our  own  days,  have  we  not  had  a  sad  instance  of 
such  devotion  to  science  in  the  fate  of  the  two  men*  that-- 
sought  to  do  that  in  attempting  which  hundreds  before 
them  had  perished— to  tame  the  strong  winds  of  the  air 
for  the  use  of  man  ?    >Yould  cold  reason  urge  man  to  risk 
his  life  in  such  a  cause,^  were  there  not,  at  the  same 
time,  a  vague  presentiment  in  him  of  the  "  things  in 
heaven  and  earth,"  of  which  the  intellect  can  tell  us 
nothing  I  did  not  an  inward  voice  whisper  to  him,  "If 
the  worst  happen,  your  body  may  perish  in  the  venture, 
but  no  harm  can  come  to  your  soul  ^" 
"■^What  would  science  be  or  what  would  become  of  it,, 
if  left  to  the  control  of  reason, Avhich  it  worships  as 
its  god)  were  it  not  for  belief  in  immortalityj(^which  it 
refuses  to  accept  ?) 

^-'  In  spite  of  the  initial  expense  of  a  musical  instrument 
and  the  cost  of  instruction  in  its  use,  it  is  not  uncommon 
to  find  one  in  our  homes,  while  in  scarcely  one  of 
a  hundred  dwellings  is  there  an  apparatus  for  physical 
experiment ;  in  one  of  ten  thousand,  perchance,  a  labor- 
atory. Hundreds  of  private  tutors  in  music,  in  arith- 
metic, in  penmanship  and  orthography  are  employed,, 
against  one  engaged  to  teach  history  and  natural  science. 
The  education  of  children  is  frequently  directed  solely 
with  a  view  to  their  worldly  success.  fThe  study  of  his- 
tory and  natural  science  does  not  contribute  to  this  end. 
The  poor  instruction  in  these  branches  offered  in  the 


*  Donaldson,  who,  with  a  companion,  made  an  ascent  in  a  balloon, 
and  never  returned. 


IMMORTALITY.  207 

public  schools — if,  indeed,  they  be  included  in  the  curri- 
culum— is  deemed  sufficient?) 

""^ —  There  are,  however,  some  human  beings  to  whom  these 
subjects  are  of  the  greatest  interest,  by  whom  days  and 
nights  are  given  to  the  advancement  of  learning  that 
can  bring  them  no  practical  gain  in  a  world  of  reason.—. 
"^  Such  devotion  proves  to  us  that  the  soul  soars  in  another 
world  even  during  its  life  on  earth— a  world,  in  which 
there  is  no  death,  though  everything  above  us,  in  the 
world  of  reason  and  the  senses,  be  hushed,  and  our 
friends  lament  and  bury  us  as  dead. 

^•'^  When  Jacob  called  Joseph  to  his  side,  and  gave  him 
in.struction  as  to  the  manner  of  his  burial,^su(l(lenly  the 
thread  of  his  discourse  wtus  broken  off,^^,and  as  though  in 
delirium,  he  began  to  speak  of  Rachel,  who  had  died 
many  years  before,  in  distant  Egypt,  with  the  shadow 
of  death  already  irf)on  liiinNiis  spirit  hovered  over  the 
lonely  grave  on  the  road  to  Bethlehem., 

^..^What  explanation  can  be  ottered  for  this  contact  of 
the  .soul  of  the  living  with  the  dead, ^unless  we  admit 
the  existence  of  that  "  something,','  soaring  far  aI)ove  our 
atmosphere  of  cold  rea.son,,on  the  heights  of  fancy  and 
presentiment? 

-^ /  What  was  the  earnest  wisli  that  Jacob  expressed  upon 

his  dcatli-bed  '/\  He  entreated  Joseph  to  convey  his  body 
to  the  home  of  his  youth^and  there  bury  it  beside  his 
fur('fath(;rs>-  Tlic  task  imposed  was  no  light  one.  Its 
execution  (Iciiiaiidcil  the  assistance!  of  <juite  a  little  army, 

^  for  the  way  was  long  and  difH(•u]t^^  In  our  days,  the  ^ 
bodies  of  those  wrecked  < ill' t  lie  far   I'>nglisli  coast  wore 
taken  up  from  the  bottom  of  tlic.  sea^to  lie  laid  away  to  rest 
in  the  earth  oCli<inie,  in  the  western  part  ol'  thi~  ciiiiiiti  y. 


208  SABBATH   HOURS. 

Is  tliis  the  prompting  of  reason?  Common-sense 
says:  "Let  grass  grow  over  the  graves.  Let  oblivion 
spring  up  in  the  hearts  of  those  left  on  earth.  As  for 
the  remains  still  visible  to  us,  let  them  be  removed  from 
sight  as  soon  as  possible."  Science  offers  its  aid,  and 
])uilds  an  oven  for  the  speedy  destruction  of  the  body. 
And  it  would  seem  as  though  the  spot  in  which  dust  is 
returned  to  dust  ought  to  be  a  matter  of  indifference. 

Is  reason  not  right  in  its  opinion  ?  The  world,  how- 
ever, from  Jacob's  time  to  the  destruction  of  the  Schiller 
in  our  own  day,  has  refused  to  become  reasonable  on 
this  point.  It  cannot  be  gainsaid,  there  is  an  immortal 
something  "  in  heaven  and  earth,'  ^  which  was  before  our 
time,  exists  during  our  lives,^and  will  continue  to  be 
after  we  have  passed  awa)'>^*The  deaf  man  has  no  con-^ — 
ception  of  sounds/^he  blind  man  knows  nothing  of 
colors,  so  it  may  be  that  we  live  in  the  midst  of  glories 
for  whose  perception  we  have  not  the  proper  senses,  and 
to  understand  which  we  lack  intellectual  strength  so 
long  as  our  2)hysica I  existence  continues,  so  long  as  the 
soul,  hidden  within  the  body,  is  limited  to  the  perception 
of  the  things  of  this  world. 

What  we  call  the  future  life  is  not  a  kingdom  of 
heaven,  a  preternatural  world  entirely  separate  from 
this  one.^  It  forms  one  world  with  our  own.  As  long 
as  the  soul  wears  its  earthly  garb,  we  can  perceive  only 
so  much  of  it  as  our  senses  reveal  to  us,^and  intellect 
and  reason  teach  us,  and  as  a  "  something "  tells  us— 
something  beyond  the  reach  of  intellect  or  reason. 
Like  a  diseniI)odied  spirit  from  another  world,  it  flits 
across  our  consciousness  i^  like  lightning's  flash,  it  illu- 
mines our  souls ;  like  a  ghostly  echo,  like  faint  sounds 


IMMORTALITY.  209 

dying  away  iu  the  distance,  it  rouses  vague  thoughts 
within  us. 

A  man  may  presume  to  doul)t  the  existence  of  God ; 
he  may  scoff  at  those  that  believe  iu  the  immortality  of 
the  soul  and  find  comfort  in  this  belief  He  cannot  argue 
out  of  existence  that  spiritual  "  something,"  spoken  of 
by  Shakspere,  soaring  above  the  senses  and  l)eyond 
reason.  Let  him  call  it  an  incomjireheusible  something. 
To  us,  it  is  God  and  immortality. 


15 


THE  DEATH  OF  THE  FATHER. 

"And  when  Joseph's  brothers  saw  that  their  father  was  dead,  they  said, 
Peradventure  Joseph  may  now  hate  us ;  and  then  he  would  certainly 
requite  us  all  the  evil  which  we  have  done  unto  him."— Gen.  L  :  15. 

As  a  flickering  light  flares  up  in  sudden  strength,  illu- 
minating the  surroundings  with  ghastly  effect,  and  then 
dies  out  forever,  leaving  dense  darkness  behind,  so  family 
affection,  the  consciousness  of  a  close  union  between  bro- 
thers and  sisters,  once  more  leaps  into  life  in  their  hearts, 
when  they  stand  about  the  newly-made  grave  of  their 
father.  In  their  common  grief,  they  feel,  in  the  very 
depths  of  their  hearts,  that  they  once  more  are  united. 
But  when  they  return  to  the  house  of  mourning,  whicli 
the  father  has  left  forever,  the  protecting  roof  seems  to 
have  been  removed  from  the  home,  so  long  the  abiding- 
place  of  peace  and  happiness,  the  Avails  appear  to  totter 
on  their  foundations.  The  importance  of  the  individual, 
the  "/,"  develops  with  amazing  rapidity,  while  the  idea 
of  unity,  the  "  we,"  fades  into  the  background. 

-^'"OnToTtlie  consequences  of  the  death  of  parents,  and 
surely  not  the  least  melancholy  of  them,  is  the  loosening 
of  the  family  tie,  the  relaxation  of  the  bond  of  union 
between  brothers  and  sisters. 

—  Not  until  Jacob's  body,  after  elal)orate  funeral  cere- 
monies in  Egypt  and  Canaan,  had  been  laid  away  to 
rest ;  not  until  many  months  had  pa.ssed  and  the  sons 
were  once  more  gathered  together  in  their  own  home, 

210 


THE  DEATH  OF  THE  FATHER.        211 

(lid  Jacob's  children  actually  see  that  their  father  was 
dead.  From  the  death  of  their  father  until  their  home- 
coming, they  had  ^elt  their  common  loss  in  their  common 
grief  Now,  close  upon  the  exhaustion  of  the  emotions 
followed  the  actual  perception  of  what  had  occurred. 
They  saw  that  everything  had  changed.  The  brothers 
confronted  each  other  witli  mistrust  and  estrangement. 
Each  one  presupposed  that  the  change,  which  he  per- 
ceived in  his  own  mental  attitude — the  substitution  of 
the  individual  for  the  body,  of  "7,"  for  "iwe" — had 
taken  place  in  each  of  the  others. 

An  infirm,  blind  old  man  had  died  and  been  buried. 
As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  event  caused  rather  a  feeling 
of  relief  than  of  loss  to  those  left  behind,  and  to  the 
decea.sed  himself,  death  brought  welcome  release.  But 
the  influence  of  his  mere  existence  among  them,  even 
though  he  was  stretched  helpless  on  the  coticli  of  pain, 
as  now  of  his  death,  was  marked  ami  |)u\v(rf"ul.  The 
home  iiad  received  a  severe  shock.  Its  regular  life  was 
<lestroyed.  Everything  had  to  be  meas\ired  by  tlic  new 
standaid,  and  adjuste<l  to  the  new  order. 

The  inipre.s.sioii  that  their  position  in  life  WJis  insecure 
prompted  tin;  anxious  thought  of  tlic  brothers,  "  Wlial 
is  our  relation  to  .Id-epli '.' "  I"or  I  heir  fallier  was  deail, 
and  tliev  li.i'l  lo  be  a«sni<il  anew  of  llieir  i-el:iMon  to 
J  isepli,  belore  tln-y  conlil  tiu.~l  liini.  ,|u-(]ili,  ;il'tei-  liis 
father's  dentil,  might  j)rov<'  a  very  dilli'niit  piTson  irotn 
the  Jo.seph  of  -Jacob's  lift'tiine.  But  there  are  n<tl)ie 
scuis  in  the  world,  which  stand  all  tests  successfully,  and 
pasH  through  every  crisis  without  losing  in  magnanimity. 
They  cannot  understand  how  it  can  be  otherwi.se.  Such 
a  soul  wa.s  .Joseph's,     lie  could  not  conceive  of  himself 


212  SABBATH   HOURS. 

as  changing  towards  his  brothers,  and  he  wept  when 
they  came  to  him  witli  mistrust  in  their  hearts  and  on 
their  lips. 

It  is,  indeed,  touching  to  look  upon  a  group  of  eleven 
grown  men,  helpless  and  fearful  as  a  flock  of  sheep  after 
a  thunder  clap,  throwing  themselves  at  the  feet  of  their 
much-dreaded  brother,  with  the  entreaty,  "Allow  us  to 
live  protected  by  the  dying  wish  of  our  father!"  But 
the  picture  of  Joseph  appeals  to  us  even  more  strongly. 
AVe  see  him  overpowered  by  this  speech,  weeping  and 
comforting  them,  acquitting  them  of  all  wrong,  nobly 
covering  up  their  evil  deed  with  its  good  consequences, 
and  finally  promising  to  care  for  them  and  theirs  as  he 
had  done  before  his  father's  death.  So  beautiful  are  his 
words  and  so  noble  his  behavior, Jthat  children,  upon 
retlifning  from  iheir  latner  s~  grave,  instead  of  sitting 
upon  the  ground  and  reading  Joli,  might  well  peruse 
this  chapter  of  the  Bible  daily,  and  take  to  heart  this 
example  of  the  magnanimity  of  a  brother  after  the 
death  of  his  father. 

"The  brothers  of  Joseph,  not  Joseph  himself,  saw  that 
their  father  was  dead.  No  change  had  been  wrought 
in  Joseph's  filial  and  fraternal  feelings  by  the  death  of 
his  father.  He,  therefore,  suspected  no  change  in  any 
one  else.  Not  so  his  brothers.  They  had  given  but 
poor  proof  of  brotherly  love.  Joseph  might  have  told 
of  an  instance,  not  exactly  noble  in  its  nature,  of  their 
brotherly  devotion.  Later,  too,  when  Benjamin's  safety 
was  at  stake,  they  had  shown  but  little  brotherly  love 
and  solicitude.  They  had  been  distressed,  and  had  cried 
aloud  at  the  thought  of  their  father's  grief,  were  they  to 
return  without  his  favorite.     These  selfish  men  felt  that 


THE  DEATH  OF  THE  FATHER.         213 

the  death  of  their  father  released  them  from  irksome 
authority,  and  they  supposed  that  Joseph  shared  this 
feeling  with  them. 

One's  own  frame  of  mind  is  the  mirror  in  which  the 
worhl  is  reflected.  The  man  of  guilt  suspects  every  fel- 
low-creature of  wroug-doiug.  The  innocent  sees  nothing 
but  innocence  about  him.  The  blemishes  that  we  see 
in  others  are  frequently  only  the  reflections  of  our  own 
imperfections. 

His  brothers  interpreted  Joseph's  speech  and  actions, 
his  silence,  his  omissions,  in  the  light  of  their  own  dis- 
trustfulness. 

How  often  is  this  phenomenon  repeated  in  life !  We 
attril»ute  impoitance  to  the  gestures  of  others,  read  sig- 
nificance into  their  words,  and  draw  inferences  from 
their  actions,  and  no  ulterior  meaning  was  intended. 
All  this  is  merely  the  reflection  of  our  own  souls.  It 
were  well  to  examine  carefully,  whether  like  Joseph's 
brothers,  we  have  not  read  amiss,  before  we  jnit  an 
unfavorable  cuiistruction  upon  the  thoughts  of  our  fel- 
low-men. Tlierc  are  many  such  sharp-sighted  men  and 
women  in  the  world,  who  know  innrc  about  us  than 
we  know  ourselves.  Tliey  know  wiiat  we  woidd  think, 
if  we  thought;  wbat  we  would  say,  il"  we  spoke;  they 
know  the  purpo.sc  of  our  actions  as  well  its  of  our  failure 
to  act.  They  know  our  reasons  for  looking  to  the 
right  and  not  to  tin;  left,  for  looking  to  the  left  and  not  to 
the  right,  'i'hcy  pri<l('  themselves  not  a  little  upon  their 
insight,  and  look  upon  themselves  as  (lrMii-|)ro[)hets. 
What  a  pity,  all  these  cogitations  are  entirely  witliout 
rhyme  or  rcn-on  I 

"One  nnist  know  much   in  order  to  know  how  little 


214  SABBATH   HOURS. 

one  knows."  This  is  a  well-known  truth,  but  we  limit 
ourselves  too  much  in  its  application.  Usually,  the 
aphorism  is  understood  as  referring  to  book-learning. 
We  recognize  that  a  person  must  be  very  learned  in 
order  to  know  what  an  infinitesimal  part  of  knowledge 
is  his  own  possession.  But  the  phrase  is  applicable  to 
all  men,  not  to  the  learned  alone.  Every  one,  no  matter 
what  his  station  in  life,  must  possess  rich  experience  and 
a  goodly  share  of  the  knowledge  of  human  nature  in 
order  to  understand  how  frequently,  in  spite  of  all  wit 
and  cleverness,  he  may  be  on  the  false  scent. 

Parents  themselves  may  be  in  error  in  regard  t(j  their 
children  and  their  children's  futures.  How  harshly 
Jacob  spoke  of  Simeon  and  Levi,  and  how  mistaken  he 
was  about  Levi.  In  the  blessing  of  Moses,  the  tribe  of 
Levi  was  lauded  in  the  highest  terms,  and  throughout 
many  hundreds  of  years,  the  position  of  its  members  was 
the  most  sacred  and  the  most  influential  in  Israel. 
Ephraini,  who  was  preferred  to  his  brother,  and  blessed 
with  Jacob's  right  hand,  turned  out  to  be  a  destructive 
element  in  Israel. 

Two  persons  may  dwell  side  by  side  in  the  marriage 
relation,  growing  old  and  gray,  without  ever  sounding 
each  other's  hearts  to  their  very  depths.  Most  of  our 
knowledge  of  the  soul-life  of  our  fellow- man,  upon  which 
we  so  pride  ourselves,  is  like  the  acquaintance  of  Joseph's 
brothers  with  his  thoughts  and  emotions.  They  imagined 
that  they  understood  their  brother,  and  tliey  thought 
that  they  would  make  use  of  this  knowledge  l)y  very 
delicate  and  clever  means.  "They  sent  word  unto 
Joseph."  They  invented  a  speech,  and  had  it  reported 
as  spoken  by  their  father  upon  his  death-bed.     They 


THE  DEATH  OF  THE  FATHER.         215 

♦  then  came  to  Joseph,  tlirew  themselves  clown  before 
him  contritely,  and  offered  themselves  to  him  as  servants. 
Then  Joseph  confronted  them  in  his  innocence,  and  it 
became  clear  to  them  that  they  had  been  on  the  false 
scent.  This  is  an  every-day  occurrence,  which,  perhaps, 
-^  does  not  always  strike  us  so  forcibly  as  in  the  Scri})tural 
narrative  al)out  the  children  of  Jacob. 

Finally,  the  narrative  teaches  the  effects  of  an  evil 
conscience.  Joseph  could  forgive  his  brothers,  and  they 
could  thus  escape  punishment  for  their  evil  deed.  Con-: 
science,  however,  is  not  a  merciful,  noble-hearted  brother, 
but  an  inexorable  judge.  An  evil  conscience  gnaws 
ceaselessly  at  man's  heart-strings ;  an  evil  conscience  is 
his  companion  at  bed  and  board. 

Forty  years  had  passed  since  their  brother  had  been 
Hold.  Joseph's  kindness  and  tenderness,  his  forgiveness 
of  tlieir  deed,  had  not  been  a])le  to  lay  this  perturbed 
spirit  of  conscience,  and  these  forty  years  had  been  pow- 
erless to  still  the  ui)l)raidiiig  voice,  penetrating  to  the 
very  marrow  of  their  bones. 

O  that  after  tlie  father's  eyes  arc  closed  uj)on  this 
world,  it  could  never  be  noticed  in  the  relations  of  the 
family  circle  that  the  head  of  the  house,  he  who  during 
his  life  kept  all  together,  is  dead  !  May  li('l|)less  orphans, 
upon  returning  from  tiu;  burial  of  (licii-  father,  never 
want  for  a  brother  like  .l<)S('])li,  who  will  take  upon 
himself  the  l»'ad<'r>liip  of  the  family,  and  keep  its  mem- 
bers unitcfl,  HO  that  it  may  not  be  xecn  that  the  father 
hsm  passed  away ! 


GRATITUDE. 

K.\.  VIII. 

In  regard  to  the  first  three  plagues  recorded  in  the 
Holy  Scriptures,  we  are  told  distinctly  that  they  were  to 
be  brought  upon  the  land  by  Aaron.  In  allusion  to 
this,  our  sages  observe:  "In  the  water  of  the  river, 
Moses  found  shelter  when  a  child,  and  the  earth  covered 
the  Egyptian  whom  he  had  killed.  It  would  have 
seemed  ungrateful  if,  unmindful  of  their  good  offices, 
he  had  smitten  the  earth  and  the  water  with  his 
staff."  Such  reflections  of  our  sages  must  not  be  taken 
literally  as  explanations.  In  their  intense  admiration 
for  the  Holy  Scriptures,  they  like  to  read  all  good  and 
noble  thoughts  into  them,  or  to  give  these  thoughts  to  us 
as  drawn  from  this  favorite  source.  In  the  case  under 
discussion,  they  want  to  impress  upon  us  the  excellence 
of  gratitude,  and  tliey  maintain  that  in  the  Holy  Scrip- 
tures, they  find  it  advocated  l)y  God,  and  practised  l)y 
Moses  to  its  utmost  consequences.  A  man  must  not 
injure  even  the  earth  or  the  water  that  has  been  of  ser- 
vice to  him.  The  thought  ha.s,  indeed,  passed  into  a 
proverb,  "In  einen  Brunnen,  aus  dem  man  getrunken, 
mil  man  keinen  Stein  werjen."  (Into  a  well,  from  which 
one  has  drawn  water,  one  should  not  throw  stones.) 

Gratitude  is  a  virtue  that  apparently  reaps  no  reward, 
while  its  opposite,  ingratitude,  seems  much  more  profit- 
able.    One  may  be  ungrateful,  and  yet  remain  well, 

216 


GRATITUDE.  217 

prosper,  grow  rich,  and  attain  a  good  old  age.  A  man 
may  fail  to  return  thanks  for  all  that  he  is  and  possesses ; 
no  earthly  judge  can  arraign  him  on  this  charge. 

Gratitude,  indeed,  may  cost  man  dear,  may  lead  him 
through  lire  and  water,  and  demand  sacrifice  after  sacri- 
fice on  his  part.  No  wonder,  then,  that  we  see  this  virtue 
so  frequently  neglected. 

The  ungrateful  man,  like  a  dishonest  debtor,  repu- 
diates his  debt.  The  benefit  is  forgotten,  or  its  value 
minimized  in  the  eyes  of  the  debtor,  and  held  unworthy 
of  any  special  thanks,  or  he  looks  upon  it  as  an  atten- 
ti(jn  due  him.  If  the  beneficiary  does  renieml»cr  the 
favor,  and  acknowledges  it  as  such,  he  seeks  to  attribute  it 
ti>  selfish  motives  on  tlie  part  of  the  l)encfact()r.  Finally, 
as  the  benefit  is  underestinuitod,  the  retui'u  that  he  makes 
for  it  is  overestimated  ;  he  holds  that  he  has  fully  made 
good  his  indebtedness. 

What  is  the  nature  of  gratitude?  How  must  it  first 
manifest  itself?  When  may  it  cease  to  be  active?  A 
generous  acknowlcdgiiicnt  of  favors  received  constitutes 
the  first  clement  *>i'  gratitude.  The  Hebrew  language  has 
no  equivalent  for  f)ur  word  "thank."  Where  we  use 
lliitnk.<,  tlif  Ilclircw  speaks  of  min,  acknowledgnicnl, 
rrcofjnUioii.  "[h  unjN  D'ln  means  not  "  we.  thank  ihcc," 
but  "  we  acknowledge  thee,"  "  we  recognize  thee."  Upon 
making  the  tiiank-ollering  of  the  first  fruits,  the  farmer 
did  not  sav,  "  I  rcfturn  thanks,"  but  "  1  acknowledge  this 
flay  before  the  Lord,  that  1  am  come,  into  tiie  land  which 
the  Lonl  swore  unto  our  fathers  to  give  to  us."  When 
Achan  sinned,  Joshua  di  nianded  a  "confession"  from 
iiim,  using  for  ruiifisaiini  the  same  word  mm  Msiuiliy 
translate)!   iiv  I Imu /,:■<. 


218  SABBATH   HOURS. 

And  where  may  gratitude  end  ?  Only  with  the  end 
of  the  debtor  himself.  A  man  ought  never  to  allow 
himself  to  forget  another's  kindness  towards  him,  nor 
believe  that  the  act  of  benevolence  has  been  fully  repaid 
with  a  favor  done  the  benefactor  in  return.  Not  alone 
should  a  man  be  ever  thankful  to  the  benefactor  him- 
self, but  towards  the  latter's  children,  who  may  survive 
him,  should  he  show  his  gratitude.  He  should  say 
to  himself,  "  This  man's  parents  treated  me  in  a  most 
friendly  manner;  he  shall  reap  the  fruit  of  their  kind- 
ness." A  noble  nature  rather  over-  than  wuc^ej-estimates 
the  value  of  benefactions  received ;  if  it  underestimates 
anything,  it  is  its  own  return  for  kindnesses.  The  con- 
sciousness of  an  obligation  is  not  a  burden  on  the  spirit 
of  the  grateful  man  ;  he  rather  finds  pleasure  in  it  from 
the  assurance  which  his  experience  has  given  him  that 
there  are  good  men  on  earth,  that  the  world  is  not  so 
black  as  it  is  painted.  The  grateful  man  does  not  feel 
his  indebtedness  limited  to  the  benefactor,  but  looks 
upon  it  as  extending  to  all  with  whom  he  may  come  in 
contact.  It  prompts  him  to  reason  thus:  "I  have 
received  benefits,  I  have  been  shown  nmch  kindness. 
Let  me  be  equally  friendly,  whenever  the  opportunity 
presents  itself.  My  fellow-man  extended  a  helping- 
liand  to  me,  when  I  was  in  distress,  and  it  was  pleasant 
to  me.  I  now  feel  called  upon  not  to  hold  back  when  I 
see  others  in  trouble." 

And  as  in  your  relations  to  individuals,  so  let  it  be 
with  associations  and  congregations,  with  nations  and 
countries.  Whoever  has  dwelt  under  the  protection  of 
a  community,  and  enjoyed  its  benefits,  ought  never  to 
forget  it.      Even  if  he   experience   unkindness  at  its 


GRATITUDE.  219 

hands,  the  memory  of  the  good  tliat  he  has  enjoyed 
ought,  nevertheless,  not  to  pass  from  his  mind.  In 
regard  to  such  circumstances,  the  Holy  Scriptures 
declare,  most  clearly  and  emphatically :  "  Thou  shalt 
not  abhor  an  Egyptian  ;  because  thou  wa.st  a  stranger 
in  his  land."  In  spite  of  the  injustice  that  Israel  had 
suttered,  it  was  still  not  to  forget  that  it  had  learned 
many  useful  things  from  the  Egyptians ;  that  it  luul 
dwelt  in  the  land  of  Egypt.  Israel  was  never  to  return 
to  Egypt,  the  land  of  its  oppression,  but  whenever  the 
people  might  come  in  contact  with  an.  Egyptian,  they 
were  to  treat  him  with  kindness. 

AVith  every  kindness  that  is  shown  us,  every  sacrifice 
made  for  our  sake,  every  gift  that  wc  receive,  we  thus 
take  upon  (nirselves  a  life-long  obligation  ;  grateful 
natures,  therefore,  are  reluctant  to  make  use  of  the  kind- 
ness of  others,  wlien  not  absolutely  unavoidable.  The 
ungrateful  nuui  is  like  the  thoughtless  borrower,  who 
makes  use  of  all  his  credit;  the  payment  of  his  debts 
does  not  trouble  liiiii.  The  ungrateful  nuxn  lightly  says, 
"  I  thank  you,"  and,  thereupon,  considers  his  obligation 
discharged.  The  grateful  man,  on  the  <»ther  hand,  is  like 
the  hone-st  merchant,  who  has  an  aversion  to  making 
debts  if  he  has  not  money  sufficient  at  his  disposal  to 
cover  the  del)t. 

(Iratitude  is  scarcely  a  virtue;  it  is  rather  an  endow- 
ment of  nature.  ICven  beiu-^t'^  know  gratitude.  Isaiah. 
in  rei)roafliing  Israel  with  ingratiturle  towards  his  ( !od, 
says:  "The  ox  knowelli  his  owner,  and  the  uss  his 
master's  crib." 

Indeed,  in  uneivilized  man,  in  savages,  we  find  it  most 
strongly  devel<;i)i-d.     Civilization  refines  the  coarseness 


220  SABBATH   HOURS. 

of  nature.  In  this  refining  process,  however,  many  valu- 
able, natural  qualities  are  lost,  among  them  gratitude. 
A  cultured  man,  in  the  ordinary  sense  of  the  term,  has 
not,  by  reason  of  his  culture,  gained  in  the  power  of  grati- 
tude ;  he  is  rather  deficient  in  the  development  of  this 
endowment.  We  find  a  deeper  sense  of  gratitude  in  the 
wigwam,  in  the  home  of  the  unassuming  citizen  or 
farmer,  than  in  the  palaces  of  the  great. 

Nature  has  arranged  that  gratitude  shall  be  the  first 
subject  of  man's  instruction  in  the  school  of  life.  On 
the  very  first  day  of  our  existence,  we  receive  more  bene- 
fits than  we  can  repay  in  a  whole  lifetime.  At  best,  a 
child  may  discharge  the  interest  of  its  debt  by  means 
of  life-long  devotion,  love,  obedience  and  reverence  to 
its  benefactors,  namely,  its  parents.  Upon  the  first  day 
of  man's  existence  as  a  suckling,  follow  the  days  and 
years  of  the  helplessness  of  childhood,  days  and  years  of 
boundless  devotion  on  the  part  of  his  parents.  This  is  the 
school  in  which  nature  teaches  man  to  know  gratitude. 
As  the  pupil,  who  learns  to  know  his  "  Keader "  well, 
ai)plies  his  knowledge  outside  of  the  school-room,  and 
reads  other  books,  so  he  that  has  learnt  to  be  grateful 
in  the  school  of  parental  care  and  devotion,  will  be  im- 
pelled to  practise  gratitude  in  other  spheres  of  life. 

So,  too,  the  good  citizen  of  the  United  States  will 
never  forget  that  France  extended  a  helping  hand  to 
his  country  in  its  struggle  for  existence,  and  Isi-ael  will 
always  retain  a  friendly  feeling  for  Holland — the  first 
modern  state  to  permit  Israel  to  lead  a  human  existence. 


RIGHTEOUS  INDIGNATION. 

Ex.  XXXII. 

How  bitter  iiiu.<t  liiive  been  the  feelings  of  Moses,  as 
he  passed  down  from  Blount  Sinai  into  the  camp  of  the 
Israelites!     His  people  had  been  delivered  from  slavery, 
and  deemed  worthy  of  a  divine  revelation.      The  ten 
commandments  had  laid  the  foundation  of  a  new  social 
and  religious  order.     Forty  day.s  and  nights  had  Moses 
passed  upon  the  mountain-top  in  spiritual  activity,  rear- 
ing,  with  the  divine  aid,  upon  this  foundation,  the  struc- ^ 
ture  of  Israel's  Law.  Finally,  the  system  stood  before      ^ 
his  mental  vi.sion,  complete  in  every  detail.     Law  and    — ■ 
law-giver    alike   were    prepared    tur    their    work.     The 
chosen  people  of  the  future  stood,  at   the  foot  of  the 
mountain,  awaiting  iiis  return. 

-     The  forty  days  and  nights  of  the  isohition  of  Moses 
had    not   been  pas.<ed    only  in    a   literal  scn.se    upon    a 
mountain-top;   in   imagination,  M(».«es   luid  reached  the 
summit  of  his  ho|K;.s.     Sud(leiil\  t  lie  call   eanie  to   liini: 
"  Hescend  from  the  height  of  idealism.      I'ar,  I'ar  licluw 
you  lies  iiideous  reality.     Think   no  more  of  the  |iroud  - 
strueture  which  you  fondly  lio|ied   to  rear,  lor  the  very 
foundaiion  is  sunken.     'I'lie  soiuid  of  the  first  word  of  -  "^ 
the  e(;nnnandm('nt  has  died  away  among  your  jKiople."'  s  ■" 
^Thc  descent  «»f  Moses  from  Mount  Sinai  and  his  re^ 
turn   to  the  canip  nuiy  most  aptly  be  characterized  by 

221 


^l 


222  SABBATH   HOURS. 

(the  German  phrase,  "  vovi  Hhnmel  gejallen  ;"*  truly  h^ 
\w.had  fallen  from  the  heaven  of  his   hopes  and   ideals. 
Nevertheless,  he  took  with  him  the  tables  of  stone,  and 

—^ surely  not  for  the  purpose  of  destroying  them.  "^  He  had  -• 

heard  the  evil  news,  and  it  pierced  his  very  soul,  but  he 
had  not  yet  )<een  what  had  occurred  ;  his  heart  was  sad- 
. —  dened  within  him,  but  the  dreadful  tidings  had  not  be- 
numbed his  reason,     j^hus  Moses  moved  towards  the  ~- 
camp  with  troubled  soul,  but  calm  and  deliberate  of 
— ^    mind..  '^  In  his  conversation  with  Joshua  concerning  the 
meaning  of  the  noise  in  the  camp,  he  found  it  impossible 
to  tell  his  companion  openly  of  that  which  he  knew  had 
v.«^happened.  "^  When,  however,  he  saw  before  his  eyes  the 
evidence  of  the  miserable  backsliding  of  the  people,  the 
full  consciousness  of  the  Avreck  of  his  life's  work  broke 
in  upon  him.     His  wrath  flared  up  in  him,  and  the  tables 
of  stone,  testifying  to  his  people's  mission,  lay  shattered 
— -^at  his  feet.^" 
worthless. 

He  who, 
away  before  his  eyes,  or  who,  teaching  in  the  fond  belief 
that  he  is  training  a  comuuinity  of  wise  and  good  men, 
finds  that  his  scholars  are  brutes  and  fools;  whoever  has 
lived  in  the  sweet  dream  of  having  established  a  new 
order  of  truth  and  light,  of  love  and  justice,  and  awakes 
to  find  the  old  misery,  the  old  error,  the  same  darkness 
of  the  sj)irit  as  of  old — he,  indeed,  will  not  censure  the 
faithful  servant  of  the  Lord  for  his  loss  of  self-control, 
nor  chide  him  for  acting  like  an  ordinary  mortal,  and 
breaking  even  the  most  precious  possession  of  his  house 
in  the  moment  of  anger. 
\   /  I  I      '/An  idiomatic  expression  for  keen  and  sudden  disappointment— [Tr.] 


RIGHTEOUS   INDIGNATION.  22c 


lutely  / 


His  was  holy  wrath ! 

Nothing  in  this  world  is  absolutely  good  or  absolutely, 
bad.  Wheat,  the  bread-giver,  is  but  a  weed,  if  it  grow 
in  an  inappropriate  spot,  while  the  deadly  nightshade 
may,  under  certain  circumstances,  prove  a  precious  plant. 
80,  too,  wise  deliberation,  and  so,  powerful  wrath,  dread- 
ful to  see  and  destructive  in  its  effects  ;  respectively,  they 
are  not  absolutely  good,  not  absolutely  bad^  The  con-- 
duct  of  Aaron  is  a  ca.se  in  point.  ^  He  beheld  the  stream 
of  evil  running  ever  higher.  He  saw  that  it  threatened 
to  break  through  all  the  dikes  set  up  to  resist  its  course. 
He  carefully  and  prudently  considered  how  useless  it 
would  be  for  him  to  attempt  to  stem  this  wild  current 
of  opposition.  The  flood-gates  were  broken  down,  and 
through  them  theral^ljle  jjoured  in  an  unchecked  stream, 
leaving  destruction  in  its  wake.  Aaron  comforted  him- 
self, as  any  cool,  deliberate  man  might  do,  with  the 
reflecti(jii  that  tiie  catastrophe  was  inevitable.  WIumi 
called  to  account  by  Moses,  he  said  to  him :  "  Thou 
knowest  the  peoj)U',  that  it  is  bent  on  mischief,"  meaning, 
"  I  could  not  prevent  them  from  carrying  out  their  wishes. 
Opposition,  on  my  ])art,  would  have  cost  me  my  life." 
Thus  is  Aaron  represented  to  us  in  tiiis  narrative,  a  reed 
lunding  before  the  storm,  a  sheep  fleeing  from  wolves. 

Wliat  a  contract  to  tlit;  behavior  of  Moses!  In  his 
righteous  indigiialion,  hi;  stijrnuMl  into  the  very  midst  oi" 
I  he  intoxiciited  mjisses,  dashing  the  tal)les  of  stone  into 
|>ioce8  before  their  eyes,  and  seizing  their  god,  he  ground 
him  into  j)oNvder.  The  imiltitude  gath( nil  aliuui  ihc 
calfs<.'attcred  in  utfright.   i/Moses  (Tcsputchcfl  tlic  Levite.s 


U)  seize  the  rmgleadei'isof  rebellion,  and  tlie  blo(«l  of 
three  thousand  of  tlicm  was  poured  out  on  the  desert 


224  SABBATH    HOURS. 

sands.  Order  Avas  restored  in  the  camp.  Such  was  the 
work  of  wratli,  fanned  into  a  flame  by  the  spirit  of  holi- 
ness. In  considering  another  Biblical  section,  we  had 
occasion  to  remark  that  cursing,  a  universal  practice  in 
ancient  times,  was  gradually  vanishing  with  the  spread 
of  culture ;  so,  too,  with  anger.  As  civilization  pro- 
gresses, calm  deliberation  gradually  takes  the  place  of 
passionate  action,  and  especially  does  it  supplant  wrath 
as  a  method  of  adjusting  a  difficulty.  A  cultured  man 
of  our  day  is  as  ashamed  of  manifesting  anger  as  of 
swearing.  Persons  of  intelligence  discuss  and  argue 
questions  of  state,  of  the  congregation,  of  the  family, 
of  business,  etc.,  without  passion.  They  fight  with  argu- 
ments, but  not  with  venom  and  blood.  The  uncultured, 
on  the  other  hand,  in  their  intercourse  with  their  fellow- 
man,  are  ever  on  the  verge  of  a  crater.  From  its  mouth, 
the  fire  of  wrath  may  burst  forth  at  any  moment. 

It  must,  in  justice,  be  said  of  the  citizens  of  our  coun- 
try that  outbursts  of  passionate  wrath  are  less  frequent 
among  them  than  in  any  other  nation  of  the  earth. 
They  act  with  prudence  and  deliberation  in  cases  in 
which  others  employ  violent  means  to  secure  their  ends. 
The  American  may  even  conunit  murder,  or  wreak 
bloody  revenge  without  ceasing  to  be  a  gentleman  in 
outward  bearing.  But  it  must  not  be  overlooked  that 
there  is  a  dark  side  to  this  decline  of  violent  pas- 
sion. Crimes  that  arouse  the  righteous  indignation 
of  all  good  people  of  other  lands  are  here  disj)osed  of 
with  the  utmost  coolness  by  people  and  judge  alike. 
As  evil  counses  lose  the  shame  formerly  attached  to 
them,  indignation  and  stern  justice  also  decline.  Crimes 
do  not  bring  dishonor  to  the  offender ;  they  are  simply 


RIGHTEOUS   I>'DIGNATION.  225 

"settled,"  to  use  a  common  phrase.  When  brought 
before  a  judge  they  are  adjusted,  and  pai-dou  may  be 
granted  if  sentence  of  condemnation  be  jDassed. 

Our  sages  tell  us  the  story  that,  in  view  of  the  havoc 
wrought  by  passion  in  the  moral  world,  the  evil  genius 
was  pursued,  and  finally  driven  into  an  iron  cage,  and 
the  cage  was  carefully  locked.  Soon,  however,  it 
became  evident  that  it  was  impossible  for  the  world 
to  exist  without  passion,  and  so  passion  was  again 
set  at  liberty,  but  was  first  blinded  so  that  it  should 
no  longer  choose  for  itself  a  path  of  destruction,  but 
would  be  constrained  to  act  as  a  slave  to  the  moral 
nature. 

Pre-eminent  goodness,  truth  and  beauty  are  always 
the  offspring  of  pa.ssion.  Deliberation  and  careful 
thought  do  not  fall  into  error  easily,  but,  on  the  other 
hand,  tliey  lack  the  creative  power  which  alone  can 
rai.se  actions  above  the  level  of  the  commonplace,  nor 
can  they  boast  the  power  of  self-sacrifice,  the  inevitable 
price  of  grcatncs-s. 

How  excellent  is  a  little  righteous  indignation  in 
many  of  the  afiairs  of  life,  the  less  inijiortant  :us  well  as 
those  of  greater  moment !  For  example,  if  parents 
were  always  to  take  all  possible,  mitigating  circum- 
stances into  consideration  in  their  dealings  with  their 
children,  they  would  in  each  ca.se  overlook  the  fauh, 
ever  excusing  it  and  delaying  ])unishmen(.  Forbear- 
ance is  a  cfjnvenient  virtue,  and  one  aj»j)caliiig  with 
force  to  a  parent's  feelings.  Fortunately,  Imwever, 
fathers  and  nKithcrs  jiro  now  and  again,  to  the  great 
advantage  of  their  children,  filled  with  righteous  indig- 
nation, and  the  children,  in  turn,  under  the  inspiration 

16 


226  SABBATH   HOURS. 

of  wholesome  respect,  for  once  are  made  to  feel  the  value 
of  a  serious  education. 

So,  too,  husband  and  wife,  holding  the  sanctity  of  the 
marriage  bond  at  its  true  worth,  forbear  to  speak  of  each 
other's  weaknesses ;  they  go  on  their  way  without  im- 
proving, and  their  mutual  respect  weakens  in  proportion 
to  tlie  strength  of  their  failings.  Suddenly,  one  or  the 
other  is  filled  with  righteous  indignation  ;  involuntarily 
a  word  of  censure  is  dropt,  which,  severely  as  it  may 
smart,  is  salutary  in  effect. 

A  thunder-burst  of  righteous  indignation  might  occa- 
sionally be  of  good  service  in  clearing  the  air  in  the 
legislative  halls  of  state  and  connnunity,  where  excessive 
cleverness  and  hair-splitting  debate  so  frequently  hinder 
healthy  progress. 

Let  us  imagine  Moses  entering  one  of  our  synagogues. 
His  eye  would  light  upon  the  memorial  tables,  which 
usually  occupy  so  prominent  a  place  in  our  houses  of 
worship,  and  he  would  ask  one  of  the  many  Israelitish 
children  present,  probably  a  non-attendant  or  an  irregu- 
lar attendant  at  the  religious  school — if,  indeed,  a  school 
exists — "  Do  you  know  the  ten  commandments  ?  Can 
you  read  the  words  inscribed  upon  that  tablet  ?  Do 
you  know  the  name  of  the  first  letter?"  "  No .'"  would 
be  the  answer  to  each  question.  I  believe  the  spirit  of 
his  ancient,  holy  wrath  would  overcome  him,  and  once 
more  he  would  dash  the  tables  of  stone  into  fragments ! 

We  no  longer  kn(jw  righteous  indignation  in  such 
matters.  Civilization  tames  men  and  ennobles  human 
nature.  We  see  and  hear  much  that  is  displeasing  to 
us  without  giving  way  to  ungovernable  wrath.  Blessed 
be  this  achievement  of  true  culture  !     It  is  well  for  us 


RIGHTEOUS   INDIGNATION.  227 

not  to  allow  our  wrath  constautly  to  grow  hot  within 
ii.«.  Temper  its  fire  with  reason.  Nevertheless,  it  might 
also  be  well  for  us  to  preserve  in  our  souls  the  capacity 
for  righteous  indignation,  so  that  we  may  know  whether 
there  glows  on  the  altars  of  our  hearts  a  spark  of  rever- 
ence and  love  for  truth,  morality  and  the  religion  of  our 
fathers;  a  spark  live  enougli  to  l)e  fanned  into  a  flame, 
should  danger  threaten  the  most  precious  of  human 
possessions. 


THE  SABBATH. 

"  Six  days  shall  work  be  done,  but  on  the  seventh  day  there  shall  be  to 
you  an  holy  day,  a  sabbath  of  rest  to  the  Lord  ;  whosoever  doth 
work  thereon  shall  be  put  to  death."— Ex.  XXXV  :  2. 

Cosmogonies,  even  older  than  that  of  Israel,  were  cur- 
rent among  the  heathen  nations ;  but  in  character  and 
contents,  they  differ  entirely  from  the  Mosaic  narrative. 
They  begin  with  the  creation  of  the  gods  ;  they  relate 
how  one  deity  produced  another ;  how  the  gods  multi- 
jilied ;  how  they  formed  ranks  and  classes ;  how  they  fought 
with  one  another,  and  still  continue  to  do  so,  while  the 
world  and  what  it  contains  are  mentioned  only  incident- 
ally as  parts  of  creation.  The  Mosaic  narrative,  on 
the  other  hand,  unrolls  a  picture  of  the  creation  of  the 
heavenly  bodies,  of  minerals,  plants,  animals,  and  finally 
of  man,  but  no  superhuman  elements  are  introduced  into 
the  story,  "  In  the  beginning  "  the  one,  uncreated  God 
stands  alone  in  awful  majesty,  and  when  the  work  is 
finished,  God  is  still  the  Only  One,  with  the  Sabbath  as 
a  witness  of  the  completion  of  the  work  of  creation. 
Thus,  no  opportunity  is  left  for  the  idolatrous  imagina- 
tion to  fill  out  details.  The  celebration  of  the  Sabbath 
on  the  seventh  day  of  the  week  proclaims  to  the  world 
D'nbx  I'x  n;'^3:3i  jnnx  'jxi  jib?n-i  'jn  "  I  am  the  first, 
and  I  am  the  last,  and  besides  me  there  is  no  God." 
It  matters  not  what  objections  may  be  urged  against 
the  theory  of  the  creation  of  the  world  in  six  days ;  it 

228 


I'HE   SABBATH,  229 

is  immaterial  whether  these  days  denote  indefinite 
periods  of  time,  or  do  not  admit  of  literal  interpretation; 
the  essential  point  in  the  narrative  is  the  exhaustive 
enumeration  of  created  objects,  in  which  there  is  no 
mention  of  any  being  higher  than  man,  neither  gods 
nor  spirits.  "Before  the  world  was  brought  forth," 
there  was  but  one  God,  and  when  the  work  of  creation 
wtts  finished,  our  God  was  still  the  Only  One.  The  KSab- 
bath  is,  therefore,  mentioned  in  connection  with  the 
story  of  creation  as  the  "sign  forever  "  between  God  and 
Israel.  As  the  seventh  day  Sabbath  is  the  expression 
of  Israel's  belief  in  one  God,  so  it  also  serves  to  empha- 
size another  fundamental  idea  of  Israel's  religion,  the 
idea  of  man  in  the  noblest  sense  of  the  term.  In  the 
repetition  of  the  ten  commandments  in  the  fifth  book 
of  Moses,  we  read  that  the  Sabbath  is  to  serve  as  a  mem- 
orial of  the  deliverance  from  Egyptian  slavery,  for  a 
slave  cannot  make  a  Sabbath  for  himself;  he  cannot  say, 
"  I  require  rest ;  to-day,  I  will  cease  from  work ;"  or, 
"To-day,  I  will  occupy  my  mind  with  other  thoughts 
than  of  my  daily  occupations."  Day  and  night,  whotiier 
physically  fresh  and  vigorous,  or  worn  out  witli  toil,  he 
mu.xt  be  ready  to  do  his  nnvster's  bidding.  In  ceasing 
from  labor  regularly  on  one  day  of  each  week,  on  the 
other  hand,  we  testify  to  our  right  to  make  what  disposi- 
tion we  will  of  ourselves,  and  to  our  liberty  and  ecpnility 
in  all  human  rights  and  privileges.  To-day,  we  do  not 
stand  alone  in  the  enjoyment  of  this  privilege,  all  civil- 
ized nations  share  it  with  us,  and,  in  a  short  time,  we 
may  look  for  the  complete  disappearance  of  slavery  as  a 
condition  recognized  and  allowed  by  law.  But  at  the 
time  of  the  promulgation  of  the  Sinaitic  code,  and,  in- 


230  SABBATH   HOURS. 

deed,  for  tliousands  of  years  after  that  day,  even  down 
to  our  own  times,  slavery  and  serfdom  were  considered 
natural  conditions  throughout  the  world.  The  horrors 
of  bondage  among  the  Greeks  and  Romans  can  scarcely 
be  adequately  described.  Serfs  were  no  better  than 
beasts  in  tlie  eyes  of  their  masters.  Condenuiation  to 
slavery  was  scarcely  preferable  to  sentence  of  death,  for 
the  slave  belonged  to  his  master,  body  and  soul.  Neither 
can  the  free  men  of  those  times  be  considered  men  in 
the  best  sense  of  the  word.  In  Rome,  there  were  Ro- 
mans ;  in  Athens,  Athenians ;  the  rest  of  mankind  were 
barbarians,  helots  and  provincials.  Even  the  Roman 
was  not  a  man  with  all  a  man's  rights  and  privileges,  for 
his  rank  determined  his  condition.  He  was  patrician  or 
plebeian,  patron  or  client.  As  a  patrician,  he  was 
more  than  an  ordinary  man  ;  as  a  plebeian,  his  rights 
and  privileges  were  less  than  those  becoming  a  human 
being.  It  is  true,  in  the  course  of  the  year,  the  slaves 
enjoyed  some  days  of  privilege,  on  which  their  masters 
waited  on  them ;  but  those  days  were  marked  by  all 
manner  of  outrageous  proceedings,  of  debauchery  and 
immorality.  There  was  no  thought  of  so  great  a  privi- 
lege for  the  slave  as  a  fixed,  weekly  day  of  rest.  The 
word  humanity,  in  our  day,  is  on  the  lips  of  every  one. 
The  term  is  Latin  in  derivation,  but  its  import  is  Israel- 
itish,  and  the  Sabljath  is  the  upholder  of  this  idea,  as  it 
is  the  foundation  upon  which  rests  the  belief  in  God. 

The  rabbinical  conception  of  Judaism,  in  this  as  in 
other  instances,  shows  a  degeneration  from  the  Mosaic 
idea.  Among  the  prayers  of  thanksgiving  in  the  daily 
service  the  rabbis  iucluded  these  three :  thanks  for 
having  been  created  an  Israelite,  for  not  having  been 


THE  SABBATH.  •  231 

created  a  slave,  and  not  a  ^vomau.  According  to  the 
Mosaic  idea,  however,  he  that  is  born  an  Israelite  cannot 
be  a  slave ;  indeed,  it  is  hardly  proper  to  refer  to  slavery 
in  a  prayer,  and  thus  apparently  recognize  it  as  a  divine 
institution.  Here,  as  elsewhere,  we  cannot  fail  to  observe 
the  influence  of  heathen  schools  upon  Jewish  thought. 
It  is  told  of  Thales,  one  of  the  seven  "Wise  Men,  that  he, 
too,  daily  returned  thanks  to  the  gods  for  having  been 
born  a  Greek,  a  man,  and  free.  Judaism  has,  at  all 
times,  suffered  in  health  from  the  effects  of  the  spiritual 
draughts  blowing  upon  it  from  without. 

Examples  are  not  wanting  in  daily  life  of  men  of 
great  wealth,  who,  seeing  deserved  or  undeserved  finan- 
cial ruin  impending,  .seek  help  in  vain  far  and  wide 
among  strangers,  and,  to  their  surprise,  succeed  in  find- 
ing the  much  needed  succor  close  at  hand.  The  wise 
woman  of  the  household  had  quietly  laid  aside  somewhat 
of  their  abundance  in  the  days  of  good  fortune,  and  so 
helf)ed  to  save  the  home  in  the  hour  of  danger. 

We  dare  not  close  our  eyes  to  our  critical  position  in 
regard  to  the  seventh  day  Sabbath,  as  far  as  the  youths 
and  men  in  Israel  are  concerned.  The  Jew,  formerly  so 
rich  in  Sabbatlis  and  festivals,  now  finds  himself  utterly 
destitute  of  floly  Days,  or  sees  the  time  fa.st  coming, 
when  he  will  he  stript  of  these  j)recious  possessions. 
If  the  Habbutli  were  naught  l)ut  a  day  of  physical 
rest,  its  sole  aim  to  afford  the  wearied  l)ody  an  oppor- 
tunity for  repose,  then,  indeed,  tlie  first  day  of  the 
week  might  .serve  in  its  place.  The  rrsf  of  the  Sabbath 
day  is,  however,  merely  a  means  to  a  higher  end.  The 
Sabbatli  is  the  pilhir  upon  whicli  rests  our  belief  in  one 
God  and  the  l»rotherlio(Ml  of  niiin,  witli  all   the  blessed 


232  .  SABBATH   HOURS. 

consequences  resulting  from  such  a  doctrine.  The  Sab- 
bath is  our  dogma,  our  confession  of  faith,  declaring 
D'nbx  j'N  'n^'S^oi  jnnx  ':ni  \wh^  'JN,  "  I  am  the  first,  and 
I  am  the  last,  and  besides  me  there  is  no  God,"  while 
the  celebration  of  the  first  day  of  the  week  proclaims  a 
directly  opposite  belief.  We  will  not  cease  to  hope  for 
a  better  condition  of  affairs  among  the  men  in  Israel. 
AVe  believe  that  a  crisis  has  been  reached,  not  that  the 
Sabbath  is  lost  to  us  forever. ' 

In  the  meantime,  it  is  the  duty  of  the  women  in  Israel 
to  stand  before  the  breach,  carefully  fostering  the  Sab- 
baths and  festivals,  just  as  they  wait  patiently,  keeping 
the  table  ever  ready  against  the  return  of  father  and  sou 
belated  on  their  homeward  way.  Give  the  Sabbath  a 
friendly  welcome  in  your  pleasant  homes.  Set  a  good 
example  to  your  growing  sons  and  daughters.  Leave 
your  shopping  and  your  business  affairs  to  be  attended 
to  on  other  days  of  the  week.  Let  your  spotless  homes  in 
festal  garb,  by  the  air  of  peace  and  happiness  pervading 
them,  proclaim  to  the  visitor  :  "  This  is  the  Sabbath  day ! 
Here  the  Sabbath  reigns  even  though  the  clamor  of 
every-day  life  resounds  without  these  walls!"  Let  the 
Sabbath  in  the  home  show  father  and  sons,  when  they 
return  from  their  work-a-day  occupations,  that  the  Sab- 
bath is  neither  lost  nor  abandoned,  though  they  them- 
selves are  passing  through  the  Sabbath  crisis  of  our  day. 

Long  ago,  the  women  in  Israel  gave  up  their  jewels 
and  even  their  mirrors  for  the  equipment  of  the  sanctu- 
ary in  the  desert.  Now,  oh  women !  Save  that  day 
which  is  even  more  precious  than  the  tabernacle  of  the 
congregation  of  Israel !  Save  it  by  taking  it  under  your 
special  protection !  • 


THE  SABBATH.  233 

Rabbi  Me'ir  was  the  author  of  the  infelicitous  bene- 
diction, "  Praised  be  thou,  0  Lord !  who  hast  not  made 
me  a  woman."  If  his  spirit,  sixteen  hundred  years  after 
his  demise,  could  look  down  from  the  heavenly  heights, 
upon  our  time  and  circumstances,  he  would  say, "  Praised 
be  thou,  O  Lord !  who  hast  created  women  that  they 
may  arise  to  preserve  the  sanctuary  of  Israel  in  the  hour 
of  danger!" 


MOSES  AND  HIS  MISSION. 

Lev.  1:1. 

Shortly  after  the  exodus  from  Egypt,  Israel  erected  a 
common  sanctuary,  expending  upon  it  energy  and  treas- 
ure in  proportion  to  the  means  at  its  disposal.  The 
people  brought  ^old  and  silver  and  other  costly  material 
for  the  building  and  its  ornamentation.  The  nobles 
contributed  jewels  of  great  price.  Bezalel  and  his  asso- 
ciates bent  their  strength  and  skill  to  the  work.  The 
women  made  perhaps  the  greatest  sacrifice  of  all— they 
surrendered  their  mirrors  of  burnished  bronze. 

What  did  Moses  contribute  to  the  sacred  cause  ? 

fn  the  Proverbs  of  Solomon,  we  read,  "  There  is  gold, 
and  a  multitude  of  jewels ;  but  a  precious  vessel  are  the 
lips  of  knowledge])'  This  verse  suggests  the  following  to 
our  sages :  "  Gold  was  brought  by  the  people,  and  pearls 
the  princes  gave ;  but  who  brought  the  most  precious 
'vessel  ?'N\Ioses,  we  are  told,  gazed  sadly  upon  the  com- 
pleted sanctuary,  and  said,  '  Every  one  has  contributed 
his  share.  I,  alone,  have  come  with  empty  hands.'  God, 
therefore,  comforted  him,  saying,  '  Thy  word  is  the  gift 
most  pleasing  in  my  sight,  f  Among  all  these  men,  thou 
alone  wilt  Ije  called.'  Therefore,  the  Bible  says,  '  The 
I>ord  called  unto  INIoses,  and  spoke  unto  him.'  " 

The  tabernacle  was  completed  with  its  ricli,  golden 
ornaments.     Upon  the  breast  and  shoulders  of  the  high- 

234 


MOSES  AND   HIS  MISSION.  235 

priest  flashed  the  jewelled  wealth  of  kingdoms.     The 

sacrificial   service   was   in   full   progress ;    the   inceuse 

cended  from  the  sanctuary  in  fragrant  clouds.     The 

people  filled  the  space  set  aside  for  them,  feasting  their 

eyes  upon  the  result  of  their  laboi*s,  and  giving  gener- 
ous praise  to   all  whose  material  aid   or  artistic  skill 
had  assisted  in  the  completion  of  the  sanctuary.*    But-- — 
no  voice  had  as  yet  come  from  on  high  to  set  the  seal  of 
divine  aj)j)roval  upon  the  work.     Finally,  the  call  came,     c^ 
y.-^p — «r  "He  called  unto  Moses."     From  among  all  the  people,^ 
he  alone  was  called.     For  without  ]\Ioses'  share  in  the 
work,  the  tabernacle  and  its  service,  with  all  its  i)()mp 
and  show,  would  have  been  without  purpose.  •  If  the  — -t^ 
spirit  of  Moses  dwell  therein,*  even  an   humble  house 
may  be  a  glorious  sanctuary^while  an  Israelitish  temple, 
to  which  the  Law  and  the  spirit  of  Moses  are  strangers,-  ^ 
even  though   it  be  decked  witli   purple  and  set  upon 
beams  of  gold,  is  naught  but  a  Monument  to  pride  and 
.    _  -6>-^  vainglory,  w  It  matters  not  how  solemn  the  chant  of  the 
service,  nor  how  much  a{)parent  devotion  and  exalta- 
tion mark  the  progress  of  the  prayers,  it  is  all  a  mere 

_.     form,, if  the  call  be  not  heard  in  the  sanctuary,  the  call 

unto  Moses.  ^  -"    —       ^  —^ 

The  references  to  the  construction  (tf  (lie  taberiKidc 
^  and  the  services    hclil    in   it    are  dC   importance   to  us 
■vHn  our  da> 


r^ 


^  _  4pJjn  our  day.y|  It  is'not  the  width  of  the  street,  nor  tiie^ 
imposing  size  and  magnirn-ciice  of  the  structure,  and 
tii(!  elegant  decoration  of  tlie  interior^  nor  yet  the  melo- 
dious ehoir,  the  majestic  peal  of  the  organ,  and  the 
flignified  behavior  of  tiie  worshijjpcrs  that  can  make  our 
synagogues  what  they  ought  to  lie.  /rs'either  can  the 
'zc  and  thickness  of  tlie  pniyer-books  compa.«s  tliis  end.j 


81  > 


236  SABBATH   HOURS. 

"**"  The  true  spirit  cau  be  measured  only  by  tbe  reverence 
paid  to  Moses  and  his  Law  on  the  lips  bf  the  teachers^ 
■—^  and  in  the  hearts  of  the  attendants,  ifrhrough  a  newly 
completed  sanctuary  must  resound  the  call  detei'mining 
its  worth  and  purpose,  the  Lord  calling  "  unto  Moses." 
In  every  Israelitish  house  of  worship  there  is  at  least 
one  copy  of  the  written  Law  of  Moses,  and  long  or  short 
portions  are  recited  in  the  course  of  the  service.  But 
when  God  "  calls  "  for  Moses  and  his  Law,  he  does  not 
want  the  mere  sound  of  the  word,  void  of  all  life  and  in- 
telligence, but  the  animating  thought,  the  living  soul  of 
the  Law.  rXhe  soul  receives  no  inspiration  from  the 
hasty  recitaTof  the  Torah,  and  that  in  a  language  unin- 

1       .telligible  to  many  in  the  audiency.     If  the  only  source --< 

'   ^of  Israel's  knowledge  of  the  Law  be  thepeekly  instruc- 
*  >^ion — if  such  it  can  be  called — received  on  the  Sabbath 

«,^'  'oa^  then,  indeed,  may  Moses  ask,  in  sadness  :    "  What 
has  been  my  share  in  the  erection  of  the  sanctuary?" 

-*— «ar  It  is  the  duty  of  every  Israelite  to  familiarize  himself 
with  the  Law  of  Moses  in  word  and  import  while  he  is 
young,  nor  should  he  cease  from  its  study  in  old  age.  * 
^iid  if  he  that  occujiies  the  pulpit  likewise  considers  it 
ms  duty  to  aid  in  spreading  "  knowledge  and  understand- 
ing" of  the  Law,  then  we  may  hope  to  have  sympathy 
and  intelligence  accompany  the  reading  of  the  Torah. 
The  call  unto  Moses,  which  is  of  so  great  a  significance 
in  our  sanctuaries,  does  not  merely  mean  an  intimate 
acquaintance  with  his  Law ;  it  also  requires  a  consider- 
ation of  the  qualities  which  fitted  ^Nloses  for  his  life-work 
— to  be  a  law-giver  unto  Israel,  and  in  many  respects,  a 
standard  for  all  civilized  nations. 

Moses  was  eighty  years  old,  and  as  yet  there  was  no 


MOSES   AND   HIS   MISSION.  237 

To  rah,  although,  previous  to  this  time,  the  call  of  God 
had  come  to  him  in  Egypt.  In  that  day,  there  was 
no  trace  of  the  mass  of  learning  which  a  theological 
student  of  our  time  is  expected  to  acquire.  The  Bible 
did  not  exist,  still  less  was  there  any  thought  of  a  Tal- 
mud. Moses  had  absorbed  the  learning  of  the  time, 
and,  through  thought  and  experience,  had  acquired 
much  knowledge  of  the  world  and  its  ways.  Such  was 
Moses  as  God  found  him — not  a  theologian,  but  a  man,  . 
qualified  to  proclaim  his  commandments,  and  worthy/ 
v^    '    of  the  task,  and  the  "  Lord  called  unto  him."  x-^-"- — 

f  f    ^  C  When  God  calls  for  Moses  in  the  sanctuaries  devoted 
to  his  service/lie  does  not  want  the  theologian  Closes,  / 

ftounding,  both  in  his  praise  and  in  his  censure,  in  his^1\ 
lentation  and  in  his  rejoicing,  a  narrow  Judaisnij*/ 
wants  the  Moses  pictured  to  us  in  the  Bible^the  man  — 
of  energy,  rich  in   knowledge  of  man  and  the  world,, 
whose  mind  encompasses  the  whole  of  life  and  under- 
stands it ;  who  does  not  forget  God  in  his  attention  to 
wcjrldly  matters,iiior   does   he   ignore  the   earth  while 
reflecting  upcju  tliegreatness  of  his  Maker. 

Finally,  the  call  for  Moses  docs  not  enjoin  upon  us 
merely  an  intimate  acquaintance  with  the  Law  and  tlie 
wisdom  therein  contaim-d.     Of  equal  importance  is  the 
question,  "  What  testimony  do  we  bear  to  his  l>aw  and 
hi.s  example  in  our  daily  lives  ?'^ 
'^r_  '^Wliile  occupying  an  exalted  position  in  IOgyj)t,(Mos5^ 
ri.-ked   his  lil(!  f(jr  the  sake  of  his   helpless  brethreru 
M-A      Even  when  a  fugitive,  an  inner  voice  compelled  liini  to 
aid   those   suffering  grievous  wrongs  to  obtain    justice.** 
Advanced  in  ycar3,jhc  took  upon  himself  the  liberation 
and   the  leadership  of  his  unhappy  |iroplo. /The  forty 


238  SABBATH   HOURS. 

(lays  and  nights  passed  on  the  mountain-top  were  surely 
not  spent  in  feasting.  This  is  the  lesson  of  this  inci- 
dent in  the  life  of  Moses,  as  narrated  in  the  Bible ;  in 
the  execution  of  his  divine  appointed  task,  the  aged 
man  denied  himself  many  physical  comforts,  devoting 
himself  wholly  to  the  service  of  divine  truth  and  tlie 
salvation  of  his  people.T»  Tireless  energy  was  united  in 
"f^fAiim  with  unparalleled  modesty  and  inexhaustible  pa- 
tience, and  therefore  God  called  unto  him. 
>-  And  similarly  the  call  resounds  through  our  syna- 
gogues ;  the  call  for  men  willing  and  able  to  aid  those 
to  obtain  justice  that  suffer  wrongfully  ;  the  call  for  men 
to  devote  themselves  to  the  service  of  the  community,  to 
advance  the  welfare  of  others  in  the  uarro^A'  or  wide 
spheres  in  which  they  may  be  called  upon  to  labor. 


b^^ 


OFFERING  AND  SACRIFICE. 

"Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  and  say  unto  them,  If  any  one  of 
you  wish  to  bring  an  offering  unto  the  Lord  :  of  the  cattle,  either  of 
the  herds,  or  of  the  flocks,  shall  ye  bring  your  oflfering"— Lev.  I  :  2. 
"S  pip  DD:0  3'"\p'  O  DIN 

This  passage,  if  translated  in  the  order  in  which  the 
words  occur  in  Hebrew,  would  read  :  "A  man  that  ofters 
of  you  a  sacrifice  unto  the  Lord."  According  to  the 
«e;(.-<e  of  the  verse,  it  ought  to  read,  "S  py  yyD  DDO  DiN 
"Any  one  of  you  that  brings  an  offering  unto  tlie  Lord." 

Many  interprctaticnis  have  been  put  upon  this  text  by 
the  (jld  Bible  students,  but  not  one  of  them  is  entirely  sat- 
isfactory. In  our  morning's  discourse,  let  us  attemj)t  to 
find  a  more  pleasing  interpretation  of  these  verses. 

In  the  pa.s.sage,  DDO,  "of  you,"  nuist  be  emphasized. 
If  a  man  wishes  to  bring  a  true  sacrifice  to  CJod,  he 
nuist  put  a  part  (jf  himself  into  the  oliering.  A  gift, 
whose  bestowal  does  not  demand  any  self-denial  on  tlu' 
part  of  the  giver,  though  it  may  be  good  in  itself,  l>y 
virtue  of  its  application  to  ;i  worthy  cause,  is,  neverthe- 
less, flo  far  as  the  giver  is  concerned,  not  a  sacrifice. 
Physical  aid.  n-iidcred  without  <'H'ort,  but  at  an  oppor- 
tune moment,  may  j)n»v(!  a  m<ist  grateful  help,  a  true 
service,  but  can  lay  no  claim  to  the  distinction  of  sacri- 
fice;  it  is  not  DDO,  "of  you,"  a  j)art  of  your  rgn.  So  a 
iiiiiii  iiiMV  liiiii;^^  an  offering  to  (he  'ICinple,  ;nid  lliini< 
that  he  has  lirought  a  sacrifice.     Tiie  sacrilicial  animal 

239 


240  SABBATH   HOURS. 

may  bleed  before  the  altar,  or  lie  smoking  upon  it ;  it 
is,  nevertheless,  but  a  gift,  not  a  sacrifice,  and,  in  this 
instance,  a  useless  one.  You  must  bring  a  part  of  your- 
self with  your  offering,  your  heart  and  soul  must  be  in 
it,  if  it  is  to  be  a  true  sacrifice.  This,  alone,  constituted 
the  worth  of  the  sacrificial  service  at  the  altar,  and  upon 
this  idea,  the  prophets  ever  laid  great  stress.  A  pious 
heart  and  noble  intentions  must  accompany  the  sacrifice. 
The  offering  is  not  an  end  in  itself.  It  is  not  food  for 
the  gods,  as  the  heathen  believe,  but  the  expression  of  a 
pious,  god-fearing  frame  of  mind,  beneficent  in  its  moral 
effect  upon  the  giver  himself. 

For  us,  the  synagogue  and  its  service  must  take  the 
place  of  the  Temple  and  the  sacrifice  of  olden  times ;  and 
we,  too,  must  heed  the  injunction  contained  in  the  em- 
phatic DDO,  "  of  you,"  if  the  service  in  the  synagogue  is 
to  partake  of  the  efficacy  of  a  sacrifice.  Participation 
in  the  public  service  is  always  beneficial  in  its  effect  upon 
ourselves,  and  is,  moreover,  a  worthy  action.  If,  how- 
ever, we  attend  service  only  when  we  have  nothing  else 
wherewith  to  occupy  our  time,  only  when  the  sun  shines 
brightly  and  the  air  is  clear,  and  the  house  of  worship 
stands  at  but  a  short  distance  away  from  our  homes ;  if, 
in  brief,  we  are  willing  to  sacrifice  neither  strength  nor 
convenience,  then,  in  truth,  our  DDO,  mickem  is  wanting. 
"We  bring  our  prayer-books,  but  not  ourselves  to  the 
synagogue. 

The  gift  of  the  man  of  little  means  is  usually  a  sacri- 
fice. A  gift,  however  small  in  value,  demands  strict 
self-denial  on  his  part.  The  rich  man  can,  naturally, 
not  be  expected  to  dispose  of  his  riches  for  benevolent 
purposes  to  his  own  actual  imj^overishment.     So  long, 


OFFERING   AND   SACRIFICE.  241 

however,  as  giving  is  a  pleasure  to  him,  requiring  no 
self-conquest  on  his  part,  his  gift,  however  deserving  of 
gratitude,  cannot  be  regarded  as  a  sacrifice.  It  is  not 
mickem.  If,  however,  the  man  of  wealth  gives  away 
more  than  he  feels  it  his  actual  duty  to  give,  bearing 
more  than  his  share  of  the  general  burden  of  charity ;  if 
his  heart  is  weary  of  giving  and  again  giving  ;  if  he  lacks 
sympathy  for  the  applicant;  if,  indeed,  antipathy  preju- 
dices him;  if  he  is  prompted  not  by  his  charitable  im- 
pulses, but  by  his  sense  of  duty,  then  giving  is  no  longer 
a  pleasure  to  him — even  the  rich  man,  under  such  cir- 
cumstances, brings  a  sacrifice. 

In  actual,  personal  service,  however,  in  tlie  real 
mickem,  rich  and  poor  are  alike.  He  that  wislies  to 
make  a  sacrifice  pleasing  in  tlie  sight  of  God,  may  not 
be  sparing  of  his  own  efforts.  Let  us  speak  not  of 
those  that  offer  their  fellow-man  only  censure  and  good 
advice  instead  of  material  aid  and  the  helping  liand,  but 
of  better  men.  Of  these  we  may  make  two  divisions. 
Those  in  the  one  chws  manifest  their  sympathy  for  suffer- 
ing mankind  in  generous  gifts,  and  by  ghidly  sacrificing 
their  money  for  the  benefit  of  others;  but  no  rlemand 
may  be  made  upon  them  themselves,  neither  u[)on  their 
time  nor  their  energy  ;  nor  will  they  deprive  themselves 
of  any  pleasure  for  the  sake  of  their  suffering  fellow- 
men.  In  the  other  division  are  the  real  helpers  in  dis- 
tress, the  true  workers  in  the  field  of  humanity  and  re- 
ligion. They  grow  neither  tired  nor  impatient,  l)iit  an; 
ever  ready  to  put  their  hands  to  the  good  cause,  to  deny 
thera-selves  both  rest  ami  pleasure  for  the  benefit  of  their 
family,  of  the  cfunnninity,  of  stiffering  mankind. 

Many  a  father  of  a  family  is  the  very  personilicnli(jii 
17 


242  SABBATH    HOURS. 

of  liberality  towards  his  wife  and  children.  Without  a 
nuirraur,  he  pays  his  consort's  hills.  He  employs  the 
best  teachers  for  his  children,  and  considers  no  sum 
too  large  to  be  expended  on  procuring  their  happi- 
ness. But  he  himself  must  be  left  in  peace.  His  wife 
receives  no  help  from  him ;  early  and  late,  year  in  and 
year  out,  she  must  bear  alone  the  cares  of  the  household. 
There  is  no  one  with  whom  she  may  seek  counsel  or 
assistance,  and  the  children,  too,  lack  a  guide  and  an 
educator.  This  is  giving  without  sacrifice.  It  is  not 
mickem.  This  same  man  may  be  a  good  member  of  con- 
gregations and  societies.  To  their  councils  and  meetings, 
he  sends  his  delegate,  the  dollar,  but  he  himself  cannot 
be  induced  to  come. 

So  there  are  many  good  and  attentive  children  that 
do  everything  for  parents  and  grandparents  that  can 
be  done  with  money,  but  they  are  not  self-sacrificing 
enough  to  take  into  consideration  the  wishes  of  their 
eldei-s  in  the  arrangement  of  their  households,  or  in  their 
mode  of  life;  they  find  it  impossible  to  leave  desires 
ungratified  for  the  sake  of  giving  pleasure  to  others. 
Here,  again,  we  have  a  lack  of  what  the  Bible  calls 
mickem. 

So  with  our  relations  to  our  kinsmen.  We  are  not 
unwilling  to  render  them  material  assistance,  but  we 
hesitate  to  associate  with  them,  if  they  happen  to  occupy 
a  lower  position  in  the  social  scale.  Such  help  is  a  gift, 
l)ut  not  a  sacrifice.  We  offer  them  our  gold,  but  not 
ourselves. 

Again  :  a  man  is  a  Jew,  and  wants  to  live  as  such, 
but  his  religion  must  not  demand  too  much  of  him.  He 
gladly  celebrates  the  Holy  Days  if  they  happen  to  fall 


OFFERING   AND   SACRIFICE.  243 

upon  Sundays,  thus  not  interfering  with  his  business 
I)ursuits.  Judaism  must,  likewise,  not  ask  that  a  curb 
be  put  upon  his  appetite.  His  fellow-citizens  of  other 
beliefs  need  not  discover  that  he  is  a  Jew,  for  this 
knowledge  might  work  him  harm.  Such  Judaism  has 
some  virtue  in  it,  it  i.s  true,  but  it  is  not  the  virtue  of 
sacrifice.  It  is  not  mickem.  Such  religion  does  not 
penetrate  the  very  heart  and  soul  of  man. 

Again :  a  certain  man  is  religious.  But  religion  de- 
mands a  continual  a])asement  of  reason.  A  truly  relig- 
ious person  must  acknowledge  to  himself  that  he  believes 
in  the  highest  truths,  even  though  his  reason  does  not 
grasp  them  as  ea.^ily  as  the  rule  of  three  ;  they  lie  beyond 
the  horizon  of  his  rea.son.  This  means  great  self-con- 
quest for  man,  proud  as  he  is  of  his  intellectual  attain- 
ments. To  him  whose  faith  is  bounded  by  reason  relig- 
ion is  a.s  a  gift,  not  a  sacrifice. 

On  the  whole,  the  plca.sant  virtues  do  not  allow  man 
to  become  degraded,  nor,  on  the  other  hand,  do  they 
raise  him  above  the  level  of  the  commonj)la('p.  By 
pleiwant  virtues,  I  mean  such  as  it  is  agreeable  to  exer- 
cise, whose  {)ractice  makes  our  paths  in  life  smooth  and 
ea.sv.  The  stern  virtues,  on  the  other  hand,  exalt  a 
human  being  in  the  sight  of  (iod  mid  his  fellow-men. 
The  stern  virtues  cause  the  heart  of  man  to  bleed. 
.Xgainst  their  practice,  prudence  enters  its  protest.  A 
sharp  struggle  witliin  tlie  soul  is  tlie  jirice  of  llieir  tri- 
umph. 

Revenge,  for  instance.  How  sweet !  The  long  wished 
for  hour  of  vengeance  has  come  at  lengtli !  Rejuson  says 
to  us:  "  Your  o[)ponent,  your  enemy  is  at  your  mercy. 
Take  fioni  liiiii  his  power.      I  >o  unto  him  as  he  <li(l  unto 


244  SABBATH   HOURS. 

you,  and  let  him  feel  all  the  bitterness  that  he  has  made 
you  suffer."  Duty,  however,  calls  to  you:  "You  shall 
not  take  revenge.  You  must  not  seek  to  wreak  ven- 
geance upon  your  fellow-man."  Truly,  forgiveness  is 
as  difficult  as  revenge  is  pleasant ;  and  great  as  is  the 
delight  of  laying  hands  upon  youi  enemy,  and  jDunish- 
iug  him  to  your  heart's  content,  so  great  is  the  self- 
conquest  required  to  allow  him  to  go  on  his  way  un- 
harmed, and,  it  may  be,  to  render  him  assistance.  He 
that  practises  this  stern  virtue,  doing  his  enemy  no 
harm,  but  rather  acting  as  a  benefactor  towards  him,  he 
indeed,  brings  a  sacrifice — mickeni,  a  portion  of  his  own 
heart.  Thus,  every  struggle  against  a  passion,  every 
self-imposed  deprivation  of  comfort,  ease,  pleasure,  dear- 
est habits,  favorite  pursuits,  or  even  renunciation  of 
well-founded  opinion,  for  the  sake  of  maintaining  har- 
mony and  concord  in  the  home  circle  and  abroad,  is  a 
true  act  of  self-sacrifice,  an  offering  of  a  portion  of  self- 
love. 

Everything  great  and  noble  in  its  nature  demands 
sacrifices.  Virtue,  religion,  patriotism,  friendship,  con- 
jugal affection,  filial  and  parental  love,  affection  among 
brethcrs  and  sisters — all  require  sacrifices  for  their  full 
development.  Their  wortli  is  great  or  small  in  propor- 
tion to  the  power  of  self-sacrifice  manifested  in  their 
exercise. 

How  large  the  price  paid  for  truth  !  How  difficult  to 
be  faithful  to  its  standard,  and  ever  to  acknowledge  it 
before  mankind  ! 

In  tlic  darkness  of  medieval  days,  our  ancestors  sacri- 
ficed all  that  is  most  dear  to  man  upon  earth  for  the  sake 
of  their  faith,  in  defence  of  that  which  they  held  to  be 


M7 
OFFERING   AND   SACRIFICE.  245 

the  truth.  Not  individuals  alone,  but  entire  communi- 
ties, from  the  child  to  the  aged  man,  from  the  beggar  to 
the  man  of  wealth  and  position  ! 

Those  were  times  in  which  man  sacrificed  himself  and  all 
that  was  precious  in  his  eyes  to  his  God.  How  light  a  bur- 
den has  Judaism  grown  to  be  in  our  day,  and  yet  many 
murmur  at  its  weight,  and  here  and  there  it  is  thrown  off 
as  too  oppressive  to  be  longer  borne.  A  heavy  plank 
rests  more  securely  on  the  shoulder  than  the  light  feather, 
which  a  breath  of  air  may  blow  away.  Thus  it  is  with 
Judaism.  The  easier  its  profession  and  its  practice,  the 
more  difficult  appears  to  its  bearers  the  task  of  balancing 
it  in  the  stroni;  winds  of  modern  times. 

The  daily  service  in  the  Temple  was  begun  with  a 
prescribed  sacrifice,  and  in  the  evening,  it  was  closed 
with  the  same  ceremony.  At  day-break,  the  priests  were 
called  to  i)rcpare  the  offering.  We,  too,  are  called  upon 
every  morning  to  bring  our  sacrifices  in  our  homes  and 
in  our  various  pursuits.  Man,  gather  up  your  forces 
for  the  work  l)eforc  you  !  Practise  self-control,  be  peace- 
able, be  benevolent!  Strive  to  subdue  indolence,  desire, 
greed,  envy,  hatred,  pride  and  arrogance,  even  though  a 
piece  of  your  heart — the  corner  in  which  these  (jualities 
reside — be  sacrificed  in  tlie  act.  Mickem!  Make  an 
offering  of  this  part  of  your  adj  to  your  God. 


PROVIDENCE  OR  CHANCE. 

Lev.  X. 

Aaron,  the  honored  high-priest,  stood  performing  the 
duties  of  his  exalted  office  on  the  most  festive  of  the 
days  celebrating  the  dedication  of  the  newly-finished 
tabernacle.  His  heart  was  filled  with  emotions  of  solemn 
joy.  Well  might  he  praise  that  day  as  the  proudest  of 
his  life.  I  Probably  not  a  few  envious  glances  followed 
the  hero  of  the  day,  the  foremost  among  six  hundred 
thousand  men,  moving  about  in  his  magnificent  robes  to 
j)erform  the  honored  service  in  the  sanctuary.  But  Avho 
can  foresee  the  vicissitudes  of  a  single  day  !  The  sun  had 
risen  brightly  that  morning  for  Aaron  ;  at  noon  it  shone 
above  his  head  in  majestic  splendor,  the  evening  saw  it 
sink  obscured  by  clouds  and  mist.  Of  his  four  sons, 
who  had  shared  with  him  the  honors,  as  the  services  of 
the  day,  the  two  older  ones  lay  stretched  before  him  in 
death,  victims  to  their  own  wrong-doing. 

"A  fire  went  out  from  before  the  Lord."  A  similar 
incident,  occurring  in  our  own  day,  would  not  be  reported 
in  these  words :  "A  fire  went  out  from  before  the  Lord," 
it  would  be  spoken  of  as  a  dkaster,  an  unfortunate  occur- 
rence, an  accident. 

Can  we  look  upon  the  denial  of  the  existence  of  a  wise 
Providence  as  a  mark  of  progress?  Is  it  a  proof  of 
sound  philosophy  to  say,  under  similar  circumstances,  "  a 

246 


PROVIDENCE  OR   CHANCE.  247 

fire  broke  out,"  and  not  to  add  "from  God?"  Nay, 
such  omission  rather  bespeaks  a  relapse  into  a  state  of 
deplorable  barbarism. 

History  can  tell  us  but  little  of  the  earliest  stages  of 
human  civilization  ;  let  us  then  close  its  vast  tomes,  and 
allow  thought  to  carry  us  back  to  that  dim  j)ast.  A  pic- 
ture is  there  unrolled  to  us  of  men  destroyed  by  fire  and 
water,  of  men  strangled  and  slain  without  looking  up  to 
any  power  liiglier  than  themselves.  Chance  and  the 
wickedness  of  man  alone  are  looked  upon  as  responsible 
-  -  agents.  In  a  later  stage  of  development,  petty,  envious 
and  malicious  deities  and  spirits  were  regarded  as  the 
authors  of  the  evil  that  afflicted  mankind,  till  finally,  in 
"^^he  Scriptures,  the  one,  omnipotent  God  is  revealed,  who 
holds  in  his  hand  the  destinies  of  all  his  creatures. 
Nothing  is  too  great  nor  is  aught  too  small  to  escape  his 
all-seeing  eye.  It  is  he  who  has  counted  not  only  the 
suns,  but  every  leaf  upon  each  tree,  every  mote  of  dust 
upon  the  globe,  who  not  only  sees  into  the  heart  of  man, 
and  understands  all  his  joys  and  sorrows,  his  thouglits, 
desires  and  ambitions,  but  wlio  knows  the  very  entrails 
of  the  minutr-  creatures  wliich,  even  wlien  enlarged  by 
the  microscope  to  the  ten-thousandth  diameter,  l)ec()nu' 
visible  to  human  eyes  as  a  mere  dot.  Thus  the  idea 
of  unity  was  introduced  intf)  creation. 

Creation  is  a  unity,  the  work  of  one  mind,  and  the 
constant  aim  of  science  is  naught  but  lo  show  (lie  rela- 
tion of  tlie  individual  to  the  iiniverse. 

Is  it  not  an  inspiring  thfdight  that  we  arc  all  j)!irts 
of  one  universe  ruled  by  iiiUlligence,  in  which  the  indi- 
vidual is  neither  lost  nor  forgotten  ?  To  take  the  reins 
of  the  rulership  of  the  world  from  (lod,  and  place  them 


-  /^ 


8ABBATII   HOURS. 

the  hands  of  blind  chance,  once  more  disintegrates 
[he  whole  into  its  component  parts,  and  we  have  again 
chance  in  the  place  in  which  the  idea  of  God  had  erected 
a  structure,  harmonious  in  all  its  details.  This  so-called 
progress,  which  sets  chance  in  the  place  of  Providence, 
rositores  the  condition  of  those  times  in  which  the  fratri- 
cide asks,  "Am  I  my  brother's  keeper?" 

The  incident  under  discussion,  in  which  the  band 
of  Providence  manifested  itself  visibly,  is  of  a  sort 
familiar  to  our  own  every-day  experience.  The  two 
young  men,  Nadab  and  Abihu,  heeded  not  the  injunc- 
tions of  their  father  and  of  their  uncle,  who  was  at  the 
same  time  their  superior  iu  position  and  their  teacher ; 
regardless  of  authority  and  law,  they  played  with  the 
forbidden  fire.  This  heedlessness  was  their  destruction, 
and  from  the  consequences  of  this  very  fault,  we  see 
thousands  £^nd  tens  of  thousands  suffering  day  after  day. 
He  that  fails  to  obey  his  parents ;  that  heeds  not  the 
injunctions  of  teachers  and  superiors,  is  sure  to  bring 
ruiu  upon  himself,j  though  consuming  fire  may  not 
always  be  the  destroying  agent. 

Is  there  even  one  among  us  who,  casting  an  honest 
glance  upon  his  past  life,  will  not  say,  "I  should  be 
l)etter  oflf  to-day,  had  I  always  heeded  the  voice  of  my 
father,  ray  mother,  my  teacher?"  In  flaming  letters 
we  see  traced  in  every  earthly  career  these  words:  "  He 
that  uses  fire  like  Nadab  and  Abihu  will  perish  even 
as  did  Nadab  and  Abihu.  This  is  a  law  of  God,  as 
natural  and  as  unalterable  as  the  change  of  the  seasons. 
Yet  it  must  be  admitted,  tliat  in  the  course  of  his  life, 
man  is  visited  by  sorrows  which,  in  human  estimation, 
he  has  not  brought  upon  himself,  and  he  enjoys  blessings 


PROVIDENCE   OR   CHANCE.  249 

which  he  does  not  deserve.  In  these  crises,  it  is  hard 
for  a  believer  to  maintain  his  position.  If  this  event  is 
not  the  work  of  chance,  but  the  conscious  deed  of  your 
God,  then  he  is  a  ruthless  God,  governed  by  caprice. 
But  I  say  that  he  that  believes  in  the  existence  of  a 
Supreme  Being,  and  at  the  same  time  believes  that  this 
Being  could  abandon  his  creatures  to  the  mercy  of 
blind  chance,  is  guilty  of  grosser  blasphemy,  than  if  he 
ascribes  to  him  caprice  and  ruthlessness.  Neither  of 
these  descriptions  applies  to  the  true  Israelitish  con- 
ception of  God.  We  beheve  that  God  is  neither  cruel 
beyond  comprehension,  nor  beyond  comprehension  in- 
different to  the  weal  and  woe  of  his  creatures.  He  is 
wise  and  good  beyond  comprehension.  It  is  true,  the 
combination  of  kindness  and  justice  in  divine  judirnients 
is  incomprehensible  to  us ;  neither  can  we  understand 
the  union  of  free-will  and  predestination.  It  is,  how- 
ever, rational  to  assert,  "  The  God  of  my  belief  is  an 
incomprehensible  Being,"  for  the  concept  deity  pre- 
supposes inscrutability.  A  God  whose  purpose  we  could 
fathom,  the  significance  of  whose  actions  we  could  grasp 
with  our  mere  spark  of  intelligence,  avouM  be  no  God. 

The  i)iety  that  traces  everything  to  the  will  of  the 
Almiglity  as  its  cause  i.s,  however,  not  always  the  source 
of  comfort  that  it  proved  to  Aaron.  To  one,  the  recog- 
nition of  God's  dispensations  is  the  cause  of  nuu-h  self- 
reproach  and  conscfjncnt  unhappiness  ;  to  another,  again, 
it  offers  an  opportunity  for  uncliaritable  criticism  of  his 
neighl)or.  The  one  upbraids  himself,  tliinking,  that 
trouble  and  distress,  death  and  destruction  are  God's 
decrees,  and  the  other  judges  his  fellow-man  in  bitterness ; 
he  says  to  himself,  "  God  has  afHIctod  that  man  for  his 


250  SABBATH   HOURS. 

misdeeds?'— With  this  thought  in  mind,  Moses  addressed 
to  Aaron*  the  words  of  consolation,  "  On  those  who  are 
near  unto  me,  will  I  be  sanctified."  The  upright  and 
the  pious  cannot  be  spared  earthly  woe  and  affliction ; 
even  the  best  among  men  must  learn  to  know  suffering. 
Not  every  stroke  of  misfortune  is  meant  as  a  punish- 
ment, neither  is  every  infliction  a  penalty  for  sin.  Man 
honors  God  and  sanctifies  him  in  the  measure  in  which 
he  submits  to  God's  will,  holding  firmly  to  the  convic- 
tion, "  God's  will  controls  my  destiny ;  what  God  does 
is  for  the  best."  Piety  does  not  consist  in  loud  wailing, 
much  less  in  an  open  display  of  bitter  grief,  but  rather 
m  humble  resignation  to  God's  will. 
-^'And  before  all  the  people  will  I  be  glorified."  The 
mass  of  the  people,  incapable  of  independent  thought, 
but  ready  to  follow  others  in  thought,  speech  and  action, 
emulating  your  example,  will  honor  God.  And  highly 
necessary  it  is  that  the  people  see  before  them  a  worthy 
example  of  willing  submission. 

Experience  teaches  that  the  illusion  is  common  to  all 
the  nations  of  the  eai-th,  that  the  louder  lamentation 
and  mourning  are  among  the  people,  and  the  more  un- 

.  restrained  the  expression  of  grief,  the  greater  their  piety. 

■^  -"The  contemporaries  of  Moses  cut  their  flesh  in  sign 
of  mourning,  tore  their  hair  and  mutilated  their  bodies 
till  the  skin  was  dyed  in  blood.  The  expression  of  grief 
at  funerals  was  heightened  by  the  weeping  and  howling 
of  women  paid  for  their  efforts.  ~^  Moses  now  demanded 
of  Aaron  that  by  his  good  example  he  should  discoun- 
tenance these  vicious  customs.  -^^Let  not  the  hair  of 
your  head  grow  long,  rend  not  your  garments ;"  be  not 
interrupted  in  the  discharge  of  your  duties. 


a 


PROVIDENCE   OR    CHANCE.  251 


VIoses  warned  his  lirother  against  another  vicious 
usage  of  the  day.  Just  as  on  the  one  side,  mistaken 
piety  sought  to  aggravate  the  emotion  of  grief,  so,  on  the 
other  hand,  the  attempt  was  made  at  mourning  feasts 
-^b:iM^)  deaden  the  natural  feelings  of  sorrow  by  the  use  o\'^ 
intoxicating  drinks.  Man  should,  however,  neither  mur- 
Itidly  over-stimulate  his  natural  feelings  in  a  spirit  of 
religious  extravagance,  nor  frivolously  seek  to  benumly^-T 
them.  Give  unto  nature  its  due,  neither  more  nor  less. 
-~^  Such  is  the  significance  of  the  law  /for  the  sons  of 
Aaron  set  down  in  this  chapter — the  la^-  enjoining  upon 
them  abstinence  from  the  use  of  intoxicating  licpiors. 


INDIVIDUALITY. 

Lev.  X. 

When  men  like  Nadab  and  Abihu,  Avho  had  already- 
been  given  a  share  Avith  their  father  in  the  service  of 
the  sanctuary,  and  had  been  appointed  as  teachers  in 
Israel,  seek  to  follow  their  own  inclinations,  turning  aside 
from  the  course  marked  out  for  them  by  high  authority, 
we  must  look  for  a  more  satisfactory  reason  for  their 
action  than  the  general  observation  that  youth,  by  its 
very  nature,  is  tempted  to  place  itself  in  opposition  to  the 
views  of  the  aged.  ^  "Important  principles  must  be  at  stake 
in  this  conflict  between  Moses  and  Aaron,  on  the  one 
side,  and  Nadab  and  Abihu,  on  the  other.  « 
'"•-^'  Nadab  and  Abihu  took  each  his  censer,  and  they 
put  therein  fire,  and  put  therein  incense:  and  they 
brought  near  before  the  Lord  a  strange  fire,  which  he 
had  not  commanded  them.'!, 

■-  It  seems  probable — and  the  view  is  advanced  by  our 
sages— that  it  was  Israel's  strong  individuality,  so  pro- 
nounced as  to  be  stigmatized  by  Moses  as  stubbornness,^ 
that  rendered  it  fit  for  its  mission  as  the  bearer  and  the 
preserver  of  the  pure  conception  of  G(jd  together  with 
all  the  ideas  inseparable  from  that  belief,  so  important 
in  their  influence  upon  other  faiths.  A  nation  of  a 
more  pliable  natui'e,  more  ready  to  surrender  its  indi- 
viduality for  the  sake  of  an  easier  existence  among  the 

252 


INDIVIDUALITY.  253 

nations,  could  not  have  undergone  the  dreadful  persecu- 
tions, the  great  oppressions,  and  the  nameless  sufferings 
in  the  cause  of  truth  endured  by  Israel.  ^ 

The  obstinate  position  taken  in  Israel  on  the  question 
of  pci'sonal  rights,  and  the  intense  repugnance  ever  mani- 
fested to  a  surrender  of  any  of  them,  indicate  clearly  the 
reason  for  Israel's  failure  to  rear  a  permanent  state^ 
With  the  exception  of  the  reigns  of  David  and  Solomon, 
and  of  a  few  years  during  the  time  of  the  Maccabees,^ 
Israel  always  lived  in  a  state  of  dependency  on  other 
nations,  or  else,  as  we  read  in  the  Book  of  Judge^ 
,1'  Every  one  did  what  was  pleasing  in  his  own  eyes,^'  or 
as  the  people  exclaimed,  after  the  death  of  Solomon,  when 
weary  of  the  rigor  of  the  central  authority^  "  Let  every 
Israelite  look  to  his  own  tent  !'^ 

Now  we  are  ready  to  examine  our  text — a  manifesta- 
tion of  this  individuality  in  the  earliest  days  of  our  his- 
tory. 

Moses  and  Aaron  had  arranged  a  ])rogram  for  the 
dedication  of  the  taljcrnacle^iii  which  there  was  no  men- 
tion of  an  odering  of  incense.  AVhen  in  accordance  with 
the  arrangement.'?,  the  various  sacrifices  had  been  oflercil, 


and  consumed  by  the  fireTTSadah  and  Abihu  seenicil  (d 
think  the  ceremonies  still  iiiconiplete ;  thereuium,  each 
tiMik  his  censer,  laid  fire  upon  it,  and  nuule  an  o(fi>ring 
of  incense — in  opposition  to  tlie  order  of  exercises  ])laniie(l 
at  the  appointeil  place  in  the  nami;  of  ( lod. 

If  in  our  own  time,  at  some  public  ceremony,  at  wliidi 
the  exerci.HCfl  were  proceeding  with  all  due  order  and 
decorum,  some;  officious  person  were  to  interfere  with  the 
order  of  ceremonies,  surely  the  anger  of  the  authorities 
of  tlie  day  would  (juickly  be  roused.     It  is  true,  with  us 


254  SABBATH   HOURS. 

■  an  action  like  that  of  Nadal)  and  Abihu  would  not  be 
deemed  worthy  of  the  death  penalty,  since  we  have 
learnt  to  discriminate  between  form  and  spirit ;  but  in 
the  time  of  Moses,  and  especially  in  the  sacrificial  ser- 
vice, form  was  of  great  importance.  |  In  a  lower  stage 
of  civilization,  a  nation,  as  even  notr  the  mass  of  the 
people,  does  not  distinguish  between  the  form  and  the 
matter ;  to  the  people,  they  are  the  same,  standing  and 
falling  togetheiT^ 

One  of  the  gfSat  ideas  of  Moses  in  regard  to  sacrifices 
was  the  overthrow  of  all  altarvso  that  but  one  should 
remain  to  be  devoted  to  the  service  of  the  Almight 
upon  it  sacrifices  were  to  be  brought,  under  the  super- 
vision of  the  high-priest,  according  to  a  prescribed  j^hm, 
no  option  being  allowed  in  the  matter.  Thus  alone 
could  backsliding  into  idolatry^be  combated.  \,  The 
myriads  of  Israel's  followers  were  to  serve  God  accords 
ing  to  set  ceremonies,  and  not  as  was  pleasing  in  their 
own  sight.\  On  the  very  first  day  on  which  this  law  was 
to  go  into  operation,  opposition  reared  its  head  in  the 
carapTjsNadab  and  Abihu  wished  to  carry  out  their  own 
ideas  ;  nor  did  the  struggle  end  with  their  death  ;  it  was 
pvolonged  throughout  a  thousand  years.  ^>Again  and 
again  do  we  ^d  in  the  historical  books  of  the  Bible 
the  complaint, /T'he  people  continued  to  sacrifice,  upon 
their  private  altars,  and  there  to  offer  incense."  ^And 
if,  after  long  years  of  idolatry,  a  pious  king  succeeded 
in  bringing  about  a  revival  of  better  things,  still  Ave 
constantly  hear  the  same  refrain,  '^But  the  altars  were 
still  without  number  j^the  people  continued  to  sacri- 
fice upon  their  high  places."  In  short,  the  people 
would   not   be   deprived   of  their   individuality;    they 


INDIVIDUALITY.  255 

were  uuwilling  to  submit  to  a  common  will  aud  a  com- 
mon form. . 
— -~v  This  characteristic  explains  much  in  the  history  of 
Israel  in  ancient  times,  as  at  a  later  period  and  in  our 

own  days.VAt  every  page  of  its  marvellous  story,  Juda-^ 

__  ism  seems  on  tlie  verge  of  disintegration.  Not  only  the 
limbs  of  Israel's  body  lie  scattered  over  the  world ;  in 
spiritual  matters,  there  is  likewise  no  unity,  no  commu- 
nity of  action,  in  truth,  nothing  but  opposition  and  diver- 
gence. \Again  and  again  may  it  be  said,  "  Each  one 
takes  nis  own  censer,  and  puts  thereon  incense ;"  and 
worst  of  all,  he  also  "  hiys  a  fire  thei'eupon !  '^"^t  has 
been  said  of  the  Bible  that  its  words  are  capable  of  forty- 
nine  interpretations.  "^There  is  no  other  religious  com- 
munity on  the  face  of  the  earth  so  entirely  without  cen- 
tral authority  ;Vhe  members  think  and  act  as  they  please, 
and  yet  follow  a  common  i)ath  in  spite  of  all  divergence, 

/Tlie  one  ('(iinmunity  looks  up  to  a  Pope,  a  Dchu  Lama,  or 
a  Sheik  ul  Islam,  as  an  autlu)rity  ;  others  again  boa.st  a 
consistory  or  a  synod.  But  we  have  no  institution  cor- 
responding to  any  of  these.  Each  one  takes  his  own 
cen.ser. »  Rabbinical  conventions  in  the  old  world,  mid 
Boards  of  Delegates  in  the  new  have  sought  (o  bring 
about  unity  of  action,  but  their  voices,  too,  die  away 
ineHectual.  The  Union  of  American  Hebrew  Congn'ga- 
tiona  hits  a  like  end  in  viewybut  as  soon  jis  it  will  rcnuire 
obedience  of  individuals  and  cfingregations,  it  is  certiiin 
that  the  demand  will  meet  with  protest  or  silent  disre- 
gard. 
^_  The  Shulfiiiui  Anikli,  it  is  true,  Wiis  an  acknowledged 
-  authority,,  to  a  certai^n  degree  extending  its  inllucnce 
even  to  our  own  rlny  ;  still  its  jtowcr  was  not  ho  great  a.s 


y 


SABBATH   HOURS. 

lieved.  Strict  as  this  code  is,  as  a  whole, 
said  that  many  a  one  came  with  his  cen- 
re  upon  it,  "*a  strange  fire  which  God  had 
Id  him^^X^  The  cause  of  these  phenomena  in 
Jewish  life  must,  indeed,  be  regarded  as  a  fact ;  but  the 
further  cultivation  of  the  national  quality  which  they 
indicate,  is  not  to  be  recommended..  Many  great  afflic- 
tions are,  in  the  end,  recognized  as  beneficent  in  effect; 
Teven  death  is  no  exception  to  the  rule)  sl-ill  it  would  not 
occur  to  us,  on  that  account,  to  foster  and  nurse  evil  in 
the  worldj^^So  this  strongly  marked  individuality  of 
Israel  is  an  evil  in  its  one-sided  development.  To  it  we 
must  oppose,  as  a  counterpoise,  a  strenuous  effort  to  main- 
tain a  connection  with  the  body  of  Israel,^  even  if  in 
pursuance  of  this  aim,  it  becomes  necessary  to  give  up 
much  that  is  dear  to  us ;  much  that  appears  to  us  better 
than  that  which  meets  with  the  approval  of  the  majority. 


FORGETTING  AND  NOT  LEARNING. 

"After  the  doings  of  the  land  of  Egypt,  wherein  ye  have  dwelt,  shall  ye 
not  do  ;  and  after  the  doings  of  the  land  of  Canaan  whither  I  am 
Ijringing  you,  shall  ye  not  do;  and  in  their  customs,  shall  ye  not 
walk. 

"My  ordinances  shall  ye  do,  and  my  statutes  shall  ye  keep,  to  walk 
therein  :  I  am  the  Lord  your  God. 

"And  ye  shall  keep  my  statutes,  and  my  ordinances,  which  if  a  man  do 
he  shall  live  in  them  :  I  am  the  Lord. 

"  For  all  these  abominations  have  the  men  of  the  land  done,  who  were 
before  you,  and  the  land  hath  become  defiled."— Lev.  XVIII :  3-5,27. 

With  these  iiijunction.s  a  lieuvy  task  was  laid  on  our 
ancestors.  Tliey  were  ordered  to  forget  what  they  had 
learnt  in  P^gypt,  and  to  learn  nothing  in  that  most  effi- 
cient school  in  which  many  receive  their  entire  educa- 
tion— the  school  of  life,  in  which  we  are  taught  hy  asso-, 
ciation  and  example.  They  were  to  ignore  completely 
the  pr(;vailing  iii.stiiutl7)n.s  and"1iiHa^s  of  the  two  most 
cultured  states  of  the  time,  of  Egyi)t  and  of  Canaan,  the 
neighbor  of  wealthy  and  cultured  I'ha'nicia.^They  were  ,. . 
to  rear  a  new  order  of  things  in  state  and  society ,l)uil(l 
according  to  a  new  law,  making  no  u.-*e  <>f  old  material  or 
rules.  ^The  slow  progress  of  the  new  idea  in  Israel,  and 
the  mau^backslidings  of  the  people  into  their  old  faults 
are  in  nowise  remarkal)le,  for  these  faults  were  merely 
the  difficulty  of  forgetting  the  past,  and  the  inability  to 
■-^ '  18  257  ^ 


258  SABBATH   HOURS. 

resist  the  example  of  the  nations  among  which  the  Israel- 
ites dwelt. 

The  law  of  Moses  declared  :  "  There  is  but  one  God !" 
Egypt  and  Canaan  contradicted  this  statement;  every 
hill  and  grove  adorned  with  the  image  of  a  god ;  every 
monument  erected  by  pagan  hands ;  every  inscription^ 
wherever  such  existed,  contradicted  it.  King  and  people, 
the  learned  priest  and  the  ignorant  shepherd  alike  repu- 
diated this  truth.  As  with  one  voice,  they  exclaimed : 
"  There  is  but  one  God  !  That  is  not  true !  It  is  not 
alone  an  untruth,  but  an  heretical,  dreadful  thought,  a 
grievous  offence  against  the  gods,  a  profanity  which  the 
gods  will  not  fail  to  punish.'  Moses  taught  an  ideal 
faith  ;  his  doctrine  was  a  voice  from  heaven,  totally  at 
variance  with  the  earth  and  its  inhabitants. 

"Love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself."  Another  strange 
doctrine  unheard  of  either  in  Egypt  pr  in  the  land  of 
Canaan  !  "As  one  born  in  the  land  among  you,  shall  be 
unto  you  the  stranger  that  sojourns  with  you."  Here 
we  have  a  direct  blow  at  an  institution  common  to  all 
ancient  communities,  both  great  and  small ;  among  them 
all,  the  stranger  was  mistrusted  and  hated,  if,  indeed, 
death  was  not  his  portion. 

'  Ye  shall  be  unto  me  a  kingdom  of  priests  and  a 
holy  nation,"  that  is  the  declaration  of  the  equality  of 
the  whole  people  l^efore  God  and  the  I^aw.  In  order  to 
make  this  Law  a  part  of  its  very  life,  Israel  had  to  for- 
get that  in  Egypt,  slavery,  inequality  before  the  law,  the 
ca-ste  system,  were  equivalent  to  wisdom,  and  that  from 
time  immemorial,  they  had  been  the  pillars  of  the  social 
order.  Above  all  these  laws,  however,  stood  the  com- 
mand enjoining  strict  morality,  purity  of  life  in  tlie  rela- 


FORGETTING   AND   NOT   LEARNING.  259 

tions  of  the  sexes,  and  a  chastity  unknowu  to  Egypt 
and  Canaan  alike.  As  our  text,  we  read  only  the  intro- 
ductory words  of  the  chajiter  recited  this  morning.  The 
whole  chapter  can  be  read  at  our  public  services  only 
because  we  read  it  in  the  Hebrew  language.  Children 
and  other  weaklings  cannot  grasp  the  meaning  of  the 
section,  and  even  to  those  that  understand  them,  these 
things  are  less  offensive  Avhen  expressed  in  the  Hebrew 
tongue  than  in  the  speech  of  our  daily  intercourse.  That 
which  in  our  day  cannot,  without  outraging  propriety 
and  decency,  be  read  aloud,  even  as  a  prohibition,  was 
a  common  usage  among  the  Egyptians  and  the  Canaun- 
ites,  and  none  thought  of  it  as  sinful.  It  was  entirely 
in  accord  with  the  law  and  custom  of  the  time.  We 
mav,  then,  imagine  how  difficult  of  execution  was  the 
behest  to  forget  the  sensual  delights  and  the  license  of 
Egypt  and  Canaan,  and  to  cultivate  strict  morality  and 
cha.stity,  in  the  midst  of  a  population  among  whom  de- 
bauchery formed  a  part  even  of  divine  worsliij). 

Thirty-five  hundred  years  ago,  the  Egyptians  and  the 
Pho'nicians,  ranking  second  only  to  the  former,  were  the 
most  cultured  nations  oi"  the  earth.  Israel  first  lived  in 
Egypt,  and  later  in  its  career,  was  tiie  neighbor  of  the 
Phd-nicians.  Suddenly  Moses  appears,  standing  alone 
in  his  ideas  and  convictions,  and  says  to  his  people, 
Israel,  "  Forget  Egyi)t,  neitlier  learn  a>ight  iVoiii  the 
Phfcnicians.  Through  me,  ( lod  sends  unto  you  a  new 
Law;  it  does  not  teach  you  how  to  buihl  houses,  or  dig 
canals,  or  giiich;  vessels,  or  carry  on  your  trades  and 
occupations;  neither  will  it  teach  you  how  to  inscribe 
your  thoughts  upon  wctod  and  stone  to  preserve  them  for 
future  generations,  nor  how  to  manipulate  numbers,  how 


260  SABBATiI   H0UE8. 

V  to  measure  the  surface  of  the  earth,  ^ow  to  observe  the 
movements  of  the  suu  and  the  stars.  All  these  things 
it  is  well  not  to  forget^ese  it  is  well  to  leaim.  (^o  land 
could  teach  these  arts  better  than  Egypt  and  Phoenicia." 
Moses  confined  his  teachings  to  religion  and  morality. 
His  object  it  was  to  give  to  Israel  a  new  doctrine  of  faith 
and  humanity,  by  the  application  of  which  a  new  life 
was  to  begin  for  the  nation. \Had  Moses  brought  his 
divine  truths,  his  teachings,  and  his  laws  of  universal 
love  and  benevolence  from  Egypt,  as  is  boldly  asserted 
by  many  a  critic  desirous  of  belittling  mankind's  debt 
to  our  religion,  how  could  he  have  laid  upon  his  contem- 
poraries the  prohibitory  command.N^Ye  shall  not  do  as 
the  Egyptians  do  ;  ye  shall  not  follow  in  their  paths  V-^ 
Although  it  is  highly  displeasing  to  many  a  well- 
meaning  but  superficial  critic  that  this  chapter  forms  a 
part  of  the  Bible,  it  is  nevertheless  one  of  the  most 
valuable  of  its  sections,  for  the  prohibitions  enjoined  by 
Moses  testify  to  the  moral  condition  of  the  most  cultured 
people  of  the  time.) 

sV'Thou  shalt  \6ve  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy 
heart,  with  all  thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy  might."  \The 

■  gods,  as  pictured  in  the  imaginations  of  the  Egyptians 
and  Canaanitcs,  or  as  represented  in  visible  form,  or 
by  them  iu  the  shapes  of  living  beasts,  were  not  beings 
to  be  loved;  they  rather  inspired  their  adorers  with 
terror  and  repulsion. 

The  highest  ideal  towards  which  our  relation  to  our 
fellow-men  should  tend,  is  expressed  in  the  maxim: 
"  Love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself"  The  generic  idea  of 
man,  a  human  being,  the  citizen  of  the  world,  was 
kno\vn  neither  to  the  Egyptians  nor  to  the  Canaanites. 


tov 


FORGETTING   AND   NOT   LEARNING.  261 

When  Pharaoh  said  to  Moses,  "  I  know  not  Adonai,"  he 
might  have  added,  "  The  idea  of  man  is  utterly  strange 
to  me ;  I  know  only  Egyptians  and  barbarians."  And 
finally,  the  most  elevated  conception  of  man's  duty 
feNvard  himself  is  expressed  in  our  text :  DHD  'Hi — if  !i 
man  do  my  statutes  and  ordinances,  "  he  shall  live 
^)y  them,"  to  which  our  sages  add,  in  explanation, 
ur\2  no'ty  x^i,  "  not  die  by  them."  ^--The  Israelite  ought 
to  regard  life,  its  preservation,  maintenance  and  enjoy- 
ment as  a  duty, 'and  not  leave  it  entirely  to  nature's 
control.  This  certainly  required  the  Israelites  to  forget 
Egypt,  and  to  refrain  from  adopting  the  customs  of 
Canaan  ;  for  in  those  countries  the  underlying  thought 
of  religion  was  worship  of  the  gods,  not  the  care  be- 
stowed by  the  gods  upon  man,  w^hile  the  religion  of 
Israel  sought  the  happiness  of  mankind.]^' JNot Tor  my^ 
\  '  sake  do  I  demand  obedience,"  says  the  Lord,  "  not  for 
mine  own  honor  and  glory,  have  I  given  laws  and  com- 
mandments unto  youT^hat  you  should  live  according  to 
them,  but  for  your  sake,  tliat  you  may  live  and  be 
\  happy." 

Dr\2  'ni,  "  he  .sliuil  live  by  them."  Heathenism  dool^  not 
recoirni/e  that  man  has  duties  toward  himself.  What 
matters  it  to  the  gods  that  man  doe«  violence  to  his  per- 
son, or  injures  his  health,  that  he  scourges  himself,  and 
denies  himself  tli«-  jdeiwures  of  life,  if  only  the  iionor 
and  the  oHerings  due  to  them  from  mortals  receive 
proper  attention?  The  higliest  honor  that  could  be 
paid  to  the  gorls,  the  ollering  most  jjleasing  in  their 
sight  wa.H  a  man's  sacrifice  of  his  own  jwrson  upon  the 
altar.  Most  gratefid  to  them  was  the  incense  of  human 
llesh  arising  fro?ii  the  earth. 


262  SABBATH   HOURS. 

In  the  Mosaic  code,  self-preservation  is  for  the  first 
time  considered  a  religious  duty. 

On  the  one  hand,  to  forget^  and  on  the  other,  not  to 
nmitate  have  ever  heen,  and  still  continue,  Israel's  duty. 
It  is  true,  the  land  from  which  many  of  us  came  was  no 
Egypt,  neither  do  we  dwell  in  Canaan.  In  both  coun- 
tries, we  did  and  do  learn  much  for  which  we  ought  to  be 
truly  grateful,  not  alone  in  trades,  in  science,  in  art,  and 
in  all  other  knowledge  useful  to  us  in  our  civic  life,  but 
in  morality  as  well.  The  people  among  whom  we  dwell 
set  us  a  good  and  worthy  example.  For,  do  they  not 
use  the  same  source  from  which  we  draw  inspiration 
and  knowledge — the  Holy  Scriptures  ?  But  in  essential 
matters  of  faith  and  in  all  that  touches  closely  our  wor- 
ship of  God,  we  must  follow  the  path  especially  marked 
out  for  us  by  the  divine  word,  learning  and  adopting 
nothing  from  our  former  felloAV-citizens,  nor  from  those 
among  whom  our  lot  is  now  cast.  In  matters  of  moral- 
ity as  well,  many  an  injunction  has  been  handed  down 
to  us  from  the  old,  severe  times  which  it  would  be  well 
not  to  exchange  for  the  usages  and  ideas  of  other 
nations ;  among  such  behests,  may  be  included  those 
contained  in  the  chapter  read  to-day,  offensive  to  the 
ear,  but  valuable  to  the  heart.  We  have  reference  to 
the  sanctity  of  marriage  in  the  Israelitish  community. 
The  Bible  knows  no  false  modesty.  In  its  pages  are 
found  in  abundance  words  that  we  hesitate  to  pronounce, 
and  on  the  other  hand,  the  Holy  Canon  contains  a  song 
in  honor  of  pure  love  ;  but  no  thought  endangering  the 
sanctity  of  the  marriage  relation,  treating  it  in  a  frivo- 
lous light  for  the  amusement  of  the  public,  no  sentiment 
making  fidelity  ridiculous  and  glorifying  breach  of  faith 


V 


FORGETTING    AND   NOT   LEARNING.  263 

\ 

ip  to  be  found  in  its  books.  Holy  family  life !  Foun- 
dation of  the  structure  of  morality  !  Remain  with  us 
in  thy  ancient  strength.  Israel !  Exchange  not  the 
nreciou.*!  heir-loom  of  chastity  in  the  marriage  bond  and 
purity  in  family  relations  for  the  glittering  toys  of 
Viyolity  common  in  the  life  about  you  ! 

We  haye  still  another  precious  inheritance  from  the 
olden  days,  the  yirtue  of  moderation  in  the  use  of 
intoxicating  liquors.  We  rarely  find  an  Israelite  a 
member  of  a  temperance  society,  for  Israel's  religion 
says  to  him  Dnn'ni,  You  shall  lire,  and  enjoy  yourself,s/ 
Dn3  no'iy  nSi,  biit  you  shall  not  destroy  in  yourself  the 
capacity  for  enjoyment."  Nor  is  an  Israelite  often 
found  among  drunkards.  Here  again  the  warning 
adyice  of  Moses  is  in  place:  Do  not  act  acrordingto 
tTie  u.sages  of~the^an(r  that  you  haye  left,  nor  of  that 
in  which  you  dwcTTT^ 

We  haye  recciyed  many  benefits  at  the  hands  of  our 
fellow-citizens,  Ixttii  here  and  abroad;  let  us  strive  to 
make  some  return  for  these  gifts  by  setting  them  a  good 
example  in  our  own  liyes. 


EQUALITY. 

"Ye  shall  be  holy :  for  I  the  Lord  your  God  am  holy."— Lev.  XIX  :  2. 

We  have  here  no  moral  maxim,  whose  influence  upon 
mind  and  heart  can  be  but  a  variable  quantity,  but  a 
law,  a  fundamental  law  upon  which  rises  the  very  struc- 
ture of  the  Mosaic  state.  The  meaning  of  this  law  is 
more  clearly  indicated  in  the  verse  of  the  Bible  which 
reads :  "  Ye  shall  be  unto  me  a  kingdom  of  priests  and 
a  holy  nation" — I  declare  you  all  equal  before  God  and 
the  Law  in  dignity,  in  rights  and  in  duties. 

In  Egypt,  the  home  of  Moses,  the  model  state  of 
antiquity,  the  doctrine  of  a  holy  nation  and  of  a  kingdom 
in  which  every  subject  possessed  equal  privileges  with  the 
priestly  caste,  would  have  been  looked  upon  as  revolu- 
tionary, a  transgression  against  the  divine  and  earthly 
order  of  the  universe.  The  promulgator  of  such  a  doc- 
trine, unless  spared  on  the  plea  of  insanity,  would  have 
met  Avith  a  martyr's  fate.  Differences  in  rank,  belief 
and  race  lay  at  the  foundation  of  state  and  society  in 
Egypt,  as  in  all  ancient,  mediaeval  and  even  modern 
civilizations,  the  republics  of  the  Middle  Ages  forming 
no  exception  to  this  rule.  There  had  been  holy  men 
before  this  time,  but  no  one  had  ever  conceived  the  idea 
of  a  holy  nation.  The  ancient  world  was  familiar  also 
with  the  idea  of  a  priest-nation,  i.  e.,  a  nation  controlled, 
in  body  and  soul,  by  the  priesthood.     The  Bible  tells  us 

264 


EQUALITY.  265 

that  the  meanest  Egyptian  considered  it  beneath  him  to 
sit  down  to  a  meal  with  a  shepherd.  In  India,  the  repre- 
sentative of  a  civilization  even  older  than  that  of  Egypt, 
one  hundred  Pariahs  were  not  considered  equal  in  worth 
to  one  Brahmin.  A  Brahmin  would  die  of  thirst  rather 
than  refresh  himself  at  a  well  from  which  a  Pariah  had 
drawn  water. 

Such  was  the  condition  of  the  world  through  which 
resounded  the  proclamation  of  Moses:  "Ye  shall  all 
form  a  holy  nation  ;  each  one  of  you  is  of  priestly  worth !" 

A  legend  current  among  our  sages  audaciously  says 
that  God,  too,  binds  phylacteries  upon  his  brow,  and  that, 
as  in  the  phylacteries  of  Israel  lies  the  confession  of  the 
unity  of  God,  so  the  Lord's  phylacteries  declare  the 
unity  of  Israel  as  a  single,  harmonious  community : 
"  Where  is  there  another  people  like  thy  people  Israel, 
founded  on  unity?"  For  man's  notions  about  divine 
rule  exercise  a  determining  influence  upon  the  institu- 
tions of  government  made  by  man,  and  through  them, 
upon  the  weal  and  woe  of  mankind.  The  heathen  con- 
ception of  heaven  lacked  the  element  of  unity  as  well  as 
of  e(iuality.  Their  gods  and  spirits  were  separated  into 
grades  and  chusscs.  How  could  the  thought  of  human 
equality  exist  side  I)y  side  with  this  conceptinii  ol'  lieav- 
enly  institutions?  Not  until  the  spread  of  the  belief  in 
one  God,  the  j>romiiIgation  of  the  doctrine  of  the  crea- 
tion of  one  human  pair,  and  of  man's  creation  in  the 
image  of  (iod  ;is  narratcij  in  tlu;  Bible,  could  the  thon;:ht 
of  the  equality  <tf  all  men  inlorm  law.  The  man  that 
made  all  Israel  kneel  before  one  God  coiihl  also  call  to 
it  with  the  voice  of  authority,  "  Ye  shall  be  a  king- 
dom of  priests  and  a  holy  nation  1"  or  iv*  set  forth  in  our 


266  SABBATH    HOURS. 

text,  "  Ye  shall  be  holy :   for  1  the  Lord  your  God  am 
holy." 

When  ])aganism  clothed  itself  in  the  garb  of  Chris- 
tianity, many  gods  were  deposed  from  their  high  places 
in  heaven,  but  this  change  did  not  bring  with  it  the 
establishment  of  the  idea  of  divine  unity.  In  conse- 
quence, throughout  seventeen  hundred  years,  the  Church 
tolerated  and  even  approved  the  institution  of  rank  in 
affairs  of  the  state  and  of  society ;  indeed,  the  Church 
herself  had  serfs  and  slaves  in  her  possession.  The  divi- 
sion of  believers  into  priesthood  and  laity  exists  even 
to-day ;  the  ban  of  the  Church  would  follow  a  contradic- 
tion of  this  dogma,  and  if  temporal  power  were  to  lend 
its  aid,  the  daring  rebel  would  atone  for  his  heresy  upon 
the  funeral  pyre.  In  the  highly  cultured  states  of  the 
old  world,  the  pride  and  splendor  of  the  nobility  is  not 
yet  a  thing  of  the  past. 

The  desert  was  the  scene  of  the  promulgation  of  the 
new  doctrine,  the  equality  of  all  men  in  the  sight  of 
God.  There,  alone,  could  Moses  find  neutral  ground, 
soil  uncorrupted  by  the  vicious  husbandry  of  violence 
and  injustice.  The  Puritans,  too,  were  compelled  to  flee 
from  the  restraints  of  tradition,  an  antiquated  doctrine 
of  kingly  authority,  and  the  hopeless  view  of  heaven 
and  earth  current  in  the  old  world ;  they,  too,  sought 
virgin  soil,  and  came  to  these  bleak  shores,  still  covered 
with  the  primeval  forest,  that  they  might  prepare  the 
ground  for  the  law  of  reason,  and  plan  a  life  in  accord- 
ance with  tlie  doctrine  of  the  equality  of  all  men. 

The  law  and  the  doctrine  of  universal  equality  have 
become  so  thoroughly  a  part  of  our  very  flesh  and 
blood  that  a  word  on  the  subject  may  ap})car  super- 


EQUALITY,  267 

fluous,  how  much  more  making  the  idea  the  theme 
of  a  discourse  in  a  house  of  worship.  Nevertheless,  it 
is  well  for  us  to  be  reminded  occasionally  that  the 
acquisition  is,  in  truth,  a  very  recent  one.  For  more 
than  tliree  thousand  years,  the  law  of  equality  was  like 
a  srrain  of  wheat  lying  in  the  hand  of  a  mummy.  The 
law  as  it  stood  in  tlie  Bible  was  a  beautii'ul  flower  in  the 
garden  of  morality.  In  the  economy  of  human  affairs, 
in  the  fields  of  practical  legislation  and  administration, 
it  was  trampled  upon,  and  violently  ujjrooted,  wherever 
it  ventured  to  sprout  upon  the  surface  of  society. 
Wonderful  to  relate  !  Tliree  thousand  years  af^or  the 
promulgation  of  the  doctrine,  six  thousand  miles  distant 
from  Mount  Sinai,  far  over  the  sea  known  at  that  time 
a.s  the  Snjn  D%  and  beyond  a  still  greater  Snjn  D',  entirely 
unknown  to  the  ancients,  in  a  quarter  of  the  globe  whose 
existence  was  not  suspected  in  that  distant  day — there  the 
Mosaic  law,  like  the  staff  of  Aaron,  sprouted,  blossomed 
and  bore  fruit  in.  one  moment !  The  plant  that  had 
been  lo(jked  u[)on  as  poisonous  in  the  old  world,  or  at 
the  lea.st,  detested  by  the  ruling  powci-s  a.'^  a  rank  weed, 
now  became  a  very  tree  of  life  for  mankind.  And 
yet  only  a  decade  ago,  how  much  blood  was  shed  in 
this  very  land,  the  traditioii:il  Ikiiiic  of  liberty,  ere  the 
complete  triumph  of  this  gloriou.s  jiiinriplc  coujul  be 
achieved  I 

What  is  Israel's  shan;  in  this  aciiievementV  There 
was  no  Jew  among  the  I'uritaiis  that  came  to  this  country 
in  the  Mdi/Jlowcr,  and  planti  i|  tlic  scrd  that  was  to  bear 
good  fruit  for  the  future  Kepul)lic.  Mono  of  our  fellow- 
believers  participated  in  tin;  struggles  of  the  colonies 
with  thf  I'arliameiit  of  the  mothcr-counf rv.     Tin-  name 


268  SABBATH   HOURS. 

of  an  Israelite  is  not  found  among  the  signers  of  the 
Declaration  of  Independence,  nor  among  the  framers  of 
the  Constitution.  Our  share  in  the  great  work  of  the 
Republic  is  our  Torah.  The  corner-stone  of  our  national 
constitution — the  equality  of  all  men — was  quarried  at 
Mount  Sinai.  The  Puritans,  those  men  of  irresistible 
strength  and  ii'on  will,  were  the  l^uilders  of  the  Republic. 
In  them  Saxon  strength  and  Biblical  spirit  were  united. 
They  thought  in  the  spirit  of  the  Old  Testament ;  they 
spoke  in  the  language  of  the  Bible ;  they  preached  in 
the  style  of  the  prophets ;  they  sang  in  the  words  of  our 
psalmists.  As  they  also  preferred  to  take  their  names 
from  the  Old  Testament,  only  the  sound  of  the  Hebrew 
language  Avas  wanting  in  their  camp  for  us  to  imagine 
ourselves  in  the  midst  of  Davids,  Joabs,  Gideons  and 
other  Old  Testament  heroes. 

Israelites !  This  is  our  part  in  the  structure  of  a  new 
Avorld — our  Torah !  There  is  but  one  God  in  Heaven 
and  one  mankind  on  earth.  Yet  in  our  day,  none  know 
and  study  the  Torah  less  than  we  Israelites.  To  the 
Spaniards  belonged  the  gold  and  silver  mines  of  the 
new  world ;  but  it  was  the  Hollanders  and  the  English- 
men that  grew  rich.  The  Spanish  owners  became  im- 
poverished in  their  indolence.  We  possess  the  gold 
mine  of  religion,  but  in  religious  learning  we  grow  ever 
l)Oorer ;  our  Christian  brethren  enrich  themselves  with 
our  treasures. 

Who  can  count  the  millions  of  dollars  expended  by 
Christian  piety  and  liberality  upon  the  translation  of 
the  Bible  into  one  hundred  and  fifty  languages,  that  it 
may  be  spread  over  the  entire  earth,  and  be  placed  in 
every  lonely  cabin?      In  the   cars,  in   steamboats,  in 


EQUALITY.  269 

hotels,  the  Bible  lies  ready  at  hand,  placed  there  by 
some  pious  hand  ;  and  it  is  not  merely  read,  it  is  studied 
l)y  Chri.stian  scholars  and  by  the  common  people,  by 
priest  and  layman  alike.  And  now  behold  the  contrast 
— the  Holy  Scriptures  and  the  Israelites!  The  picture 
is  a  sad  one,  even  from  a  secular  point  of  view,  for  any 
one  that  makes  the  slightest  pretension  to  culture  ought 
not  to  be  a  stranger  to  this  book  of  the  world's  litera- 
ture. ^^'ill  there  soon  be  a  change  for  the  better? 
May  God  grant  that  Israel  remain  his  holy  nation  and 
a  kingdom  of  priests  worthy  of  the  name  I 

When  we  assemble  in  thy  name,  O  (iod  !  to  open 
the  book  of  thy  Law,  wc  express  our  thanks  to  thee  that 
thou  hast  selected  us  from  among  all  nations  to  receive 
thy  Law — to  receive,  but  not  to  forget  it ;  not,  like  sloth- 
ful servants,  to  lay  the  burden  upon  the  shoulders  of 
others,  but  to  preserve  it,  to  study  it  and  to  spread 
abroad  its  blessed  truths.  We  thank  tlice  in  words,  may 
we  confirm  our  gratitude  in  deeds!  May  thy  holy  law 
be  ever  on  our  lij>s  aiul  in  our  hearts!  !May  the  words 
of  the  j)rophct  find  realization  in  us:  "  My  s[)irit  that 
is  upon  thee,  and  my  words  which  I  have  put  in  thy 
moutli,  shall  not  depart  out  of  tli\-  indiitli,  nor  out  oi" 
the  mouth  of  thy  children,  nor  out  of  the  uiouth  of  thy 
chihlren's  chihlren,  from  hcncefortli  and  forever!" 


/ 


THE  MEANING  OF  THE  WORD  "HOLY." 

"  Speak  unto  all  the  congregation  of  the  children  of  Israel,  and  say  unto 
them,  Ye  shall  be  holy;  for  I  the  Lord  your  God  am  holy."— Lev. 
XIX  :  2. 

An  action  worthy  of  being  called  holy  must  be  entirely 
free  from  selfish  motives.  If  we  shun  sin  because  of  our 
fear  of  earthly  or  eternal  punishment ;  if  we  do  good  in 
the  hope  of  reward,  though  this  anticipated  reward  be 
but  praise  and  gratitude  and  other  acknowledgment,  the 
action  is,  indeed,  praiseworthy.  Our  sages  say,  "  Who- 
ever says,  '  These  alms  I  give  that  my  child  may  live,  or 
in  order  tc  secure  for  myself  life  eternal,'  may  be  called 
truly  pious."  Yes,  he  is  a  pious  man,  for  God  is  in  his 
thoughts,  and  to  him  he  looks  for  help.  However,  we 
cannot  call  him  a  hohj  man,  for  his  motive  is  self-inter- 
est, even  though  of  a  most  refined  character.  "  Ye 
shall  be  holy."  With  no  thought  of  selfish  gain,  sanctify 
your  lives,  devoting  yourselves  to  good  and  avoiding 
evil. 

A  man  may,  however,  do  good  and  noble  deeds  with 
aims  and  spirit  alike  disinterested,  and  still  not  have  the 
slightest  claim  to  holiness,  for  in  order  to  deserve  the 
attribute  holy,  sentiment  and  act  must  be  inspired  by 
thoughts  of  God  and  his  holy  will.  "  For  I  the  Lord 
your  God  am  holy  " — let  this  be  the  reason  for  your  holi- 
ness. In  this  chapter,  so  rich  in  maxims  concerning  that 
which  is  good  and  just,  every  sentence  is  followed  by  the 

270 


THE    MEANING   OF   THE    WORD   "HOLY."  271 

warning,  "  I  am  the  Lord  your  God."  Be  this  tlie 
motive  of  your  actions.  No  one  speaks  of  holy  Socrates. 
In  our  days,  too,  there  are  many  good  and  noble  men, 
who  have  no  claim  to  holiness,  still  less  do  they  lay  any 
pretensions  to  such  praise,  lor  God  is  not  in  their  thoughts, 
probably  they  do  not  even  believe  in  him,  and  hence  the 
divine  idea  can  have  no  influence  upon  their  feelings  and 
actions.  Through  ]Moses,  (rod  proclaims  to  Israel :  "  Ye 
shall  be  holy  !  It  is  God's. will  that,  without  a  thought  of 
self,  you  devote  youi-selves  to  all  that  is  pure  and-  ele- 
vated, and  let  your  inspiration  be  this  thought,  '  God  is 
holy !' " 

Little  justification  as  there  is  for  calling  that  man  holy 
whose  actions,  though  disinterested,  good  and  noble,  are 
uninspired  I)y  any  tliought  of  God,  still  less  is  it  proi)er 
to  ascribe  this  quality  of  holiness  to  one  wlio  acts 
always  in  the  name  of  God,  and  who  lives  and  dies  in  a 
firm  belief  in  hi  in,  but  whose  sentiments  ami  actions 
cannot  bear  the  searching  light  of  reason  :uul  morality. 
In  the  name  of  God,  Tonpiemada  and  Arbues,  I'hilip  the 
Second,  Ferdinand  and  Isabella  wrouglit  <Iceds,  tin; 
very  thought  of  which  makes  us  sliudder  willi  horror. 
L'>yoIa,too,  believe«l  that  lie  wa.s  truly  serving  (iod,  and 
all  these  tlu;  Head  of  the  Church  pronounced  iioly. 
( I  ran  ting  that  these  nitii  robbed,  persecutecl  :iii<l  im  lined 
their  fellr»w-men  to  death  in  the  firm  belief  tli;il  their 
actions  were  pleasing  in  tlu;  sight  of  <!od  ;  granting  that 
avarice  did  not  play  a  part  in  urging  tiitin  on  to  action, 
nevertheless,  we  eanuitt  admit  thai  they  coulil  lay  <'laim 
to  holiness,  since  their  doclrine,  sentiments  and  deeds 
were  in  direct  oppositi<in  to  the  diciates  of  rea.son  ami 
morality.     Korach,  too,  laid  claim  to  ludiness.     He  said, 


272  SABBATH   HOURS. 

"  The  whole  of  the  contrregation  are  all  of  them  holy, 
and  the  Lord  is  among  them,"  but  his  deeds  were  base, 
prompted  by  vain  ambition.  Acting  in  the  name  of  God 
and  in  a  belief  iu  God  may  make  a  man  pious,  but  not 
holy.  Holiness  is  greater  than  piety.  Holiness  includes 
piety,  but  piety  may  exist  apart  from  holiness.  There 
are,  therefore,  more  pious  men  than  saints  in  the  world. 
A  fanatic  may  be  pious,  and  yet  displeasing  both  to  God 
and  to  man.  Piety  is  of  the  heart,  but  holiness  presses 
into  service  heart,  hand  and  spirit.  "  Ye  shall  be  holy, 
for  I  the  Lord  your  God  am  holy."  God  is  not  called 
holy  because  of  a  pious  belief  in  himself,  but  because  he 
is  goodness,  justice  and  wisdom  ;  because  he  dwells  in  our 
thoughts  far  removed  from  all  that  is  earthly,  all  that 
is  sensual.  "  Ye  shall  be  holy  "  means,  "  I  am  not  satis- 
fied with  piety  that  simply  pays  its  addresses  to  me  ;  I 
want  not  servants  that  think  to  gain  my  favor  by  praise 
and  prayer." 

Finally,  holiness  must  be  paramount  and  constant, 
suffering  neither  fluctuation  nor  change. 

In  every  man's  life  there  are  moments  of  good  inspi- 
ration, when  noble  impulses  are  stirred  within  him.  So 
too,  there  are  but  few  human  beings,  over  whom  there 
steals  not,  now  and  again,  a  presentiment  or  a  conscious- 
ness of  the  existence  of  a  divine,  omnipotent  Power,  of 
an  eternal  life  in  which  the  soul  will  continue  its  exist- 
ence. To  some,  such  feelings,  such  moments  may  be 
familiar  companions ;  to  others,  but  fleeting  and  infre- 
quent visitors,  perhaps  gaining  entrance  to  their  souls  on 
the  annually  recurring  Day  of  Atonement,  or  when  afflic- 
tion and  death  are  visited  upon  them.  Such  moments 
and  thoughts  are  like  flashes  of  lightning,  illuminating 


THE   MEANING    OF   THE   WORD    "  HOLY."  273 

the  heaven  of  night ;  but  the  light  is  unreliable.  It 
does  not  always  lighten,  when  one  is  sorely  in  need  of 
light.  So,  too,  the  light  of  piety  is  often  extinguished, 
even  in  the  pious  man,  at  the  very  moment  when  he 
most  feels  the  want  of  it.  But,  "Ye  shall  be  holy" 
means,  "  The  fear  of  the  Lord,  a  good  heart  and  a  will- 
ing hand  must  become  second  nature  to  you.  In  tempta- 
tion and  in  the  hour  of  weakness,  they  must  not  waver. 
Your  fear  of  God  and  your  moral  instinct  dare  not  be 
diseased,  at  times  exciting  your  blood  to  fever  heat ;  at 
others,  chilling  you  to  the  heart." 

After  the  principle  of  holiness  has  been  laid  down  for 
us  in  the  words  of  our  text,  the  rest  of  the  chapter,  read 
to-day,  gives  the  details  for  putting  it  into  jmxctice. 

"Ye  shall  fear,  every  man,  his  mother  and  hisfatlier." 
Fear  of  one's  father,  i.  e.,  obedience  to  parents,  lies  at 
the  foundation  of  education  in  holiness.  Let  no  one 
8j)eak  of  an  education  as  good,  in  which  childlike  obedi- 
ence is  wanting.  Opinions  may  dificr  as  to  the  mode  of 
compassing  tliis  end.  Not  the  method,  but  the  rcsiiH,  is 
important.  "  Ye  shall  lie  holy !"  How  beautiful  are 
these  words!  Moses,  however,  was  not  a  man  of  fine 
phrases,  but  of  deep  and  sound  sense.  He  says  to  Israel, 
"You  are  dcstiiu'd  to  become  a  holy  nation,  to  devote  your- 
self entirely  t4j  all  that  is  divine,  good  and  noble.  Towards 
this  end  must  tend  the  e<lucation  given  you  by  your  father 
and  motlur.  Ibily  men  are  not  born.  In  obedii-nce  to 
one's  father  and  mother  one  learns  obedience  to  duty. 

"Ye  shall  fear,  every  man,  his  mother  andhis  f:itli(  r, 
and  my  Sabbaths  shall  ye  keep."  If  your  childn-n  arc 
to  obey  you,  fathers  and  mothers,  yoit  must  keep  my  Sab- 
bath.s.     Yet  important  a.s  the  observance  of  the  Salilmlh 

19 


274  SABBATH    HOURS. 

is,  it  is  but  one  duty,  selected  as  an  example  out  of  many- 
duties,  and  saying  to  us,  "  If  the  education  of  your  chil- 
dren is  to  be  successful,  you  must  guide  them  by  your  good 
example;  if  your  children  are  to  obey  you,  yon  must  be 
obedient  to  God."  It  is  true  that,  in  the  work  of  education, 
the  observance  of  the  Sabbath  is  a  most  important  factor, 
and  hence  especially  fitted  to  be  chosen  as  an  example. 
"  My  sanctuary  shall  ye  reverence  "  is  a  further  means 
to  holiness.  In  using  these  words,  Moses  had  in  mind 
the  sanctuary  of  his  time,  though  the  structure  was  but 
a  simple  tent  and  not  a  magnificent  temple.  The  tab- 
ernacle and  later  the  two  Temples  were  replaced  by 
synagogues  and  schools  as  scats  of  education  in  holiness. 
Reverence  the  holy  purposes  that  the  house  serves,  be 
the  structure  but  one  of  boards !  Divine  service,  the 
school,  education  in  the  home  with  the  observance  of 
the  Sabbath  as  an  aid,  are  the  means  of  sanctifying  Israel. 
When  we  enter  the  house  of  the  Lord  let  us  heed  the  call, 
"  Reverence  for  my  sanctuaries !"  Assemble  here  in  an 
elevated,  an  earnest  mood  ;  leave  frivolous  thoughts  and 
ungodly  meditations  without  these  walls.  Let  devotion 
hold  your  souls  in  thrall!  Upon  joining  our  family 
circles,  let  us  attend  to  the  inward  voice  saying,  "  Render 
obedience  to  your  parents!"  When  we  pursue  our  call- 
ings, in  our  business  intercourse,  let  us  heed  thcAvarning, 
"  Be  upright  in  your  dealings  with  your  neighbor."  And 
in  all  conditions  and  vicissitudes  of  life,  may  sympathy 
with  our  fellow-man  be  our  constant  companion  !  Love 
your  ncigiibor  in  a  spirit  of  disinterestedness,  of  unsel- 
fishness, of  holiness. 

"  Ye  shall  be  holy !"  Be  not  only  synagogue  and 
prayer-bof)k  saints,  but  be  holy  in  thought  and  action, 
hi^Iding  aloof  from  everything  base  and  impure. 


SELF-RESPECT. 

Lev.  XIX :  18. 

"Love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself!"  "This  law,"  says 
Chri.«-tianity,  "  I  gave  unto  the  world,"  and  thereupon 
proceeds  to  call  itself,  to  the  exclusion  of  all  others,  the 
relijrion  of  love.  The  Jewish  religion  is  said  by  it  to  be 
narrow  in  its  sympathie.*;,  and  the  God  of  Israelis  called 
a  (lod  of  wrath.  It  is  impossible  to  understand  how  the 
authorship  of  the  doctrine  of  humanity  can  be  denied 
to  Judaism,  for  the  tenet  is  taught  here  in  the  Penta- 
teuch with  all  i)ossible  clearness  and  force.  "  Thai  may 
be  true,"  they  say  to  us,  "  but  you  use  the  word  "];•"»  '  thy 
neighbor,'  which  means  belonging  to  your  own  people. 
Non-Israelites  are  excluded  from  this  circle,  while  our 
religion  teaches  an  unrestricted  and  universal  love  of 
mankind."  '1  liis  objection,  too,  is  entirely  without  foun- 
dation. In  the  verses  that  follow,  .Moses  says:  "  If  a 
stranger  sojourn  with  you  in  VMiir  land,  ye  shall  iiol  vex 
him.  As  one  born  in  llie  land  among  you,  shall  lie  unto 
you  the  stranger  that  sojourncth  willi  yoii,  and  tlinu 
slialt  love  him  as  thy.s<'If." 

The  moving  force  in  this  dispute  betwtien  the  two  sets 
of  adherents  is  the  vain  ambition  of  each  to  make  the 
greater  /niii.<l  of  the  faith  profe.«s(!d  by  each.  In  tliectry, 
tliis  law  is  highly  |)ri/.e<l,  ImiiIi  in  churches  and  in  syna- 
gogues; it  is  found  in  all  catechisms.      I'ut  in  practice, 

275 


276  SABBATH  HOUES. 

it  is  equally  neglected  by  both  bodies  of  men.  This 
contest  between  the  religions  for  the  honor  of  being  the 
true  mother  of  the  idea  of  humanity  reminds  us  of  the 
dispute  of  the  two  mothers  before  the  judgment  seat  of 
Solomon,  concerning  the  ownership  of  the  living  child 
and  tlie  dead  one.  In  that  altercation  the  living  child 
nearly  lost  its  life.  At  times,  both  religions  have  acted 
like  unnatural  mothers  towards  this  offspring  of  heaven. 
It  is  but  a  poor  consolation  for  us  that  rivers  of  blood, 
mountains  of  human  bodies,  seas  of  tears  testify  against 
the  younger  mother,  while  the  older  one,  the  Synagogue, 
for  seventeen  hundred  years,  like  the  lamb  in  the  fable, 
did  not  muddy  the  stream  for  the  wolves,  and  stands 
before  the  world  clean  of  hand.  The  theory  is  good, 
even  of  heavenly  excellence.  It  is,  indeed,  but  too 
good  for  this  world.  Earth  would  turn  into  a  heaven 
for  its  inhabitants,  if  the  doctrine  of  humanity  were  in 
practice  applied  with  the  zeal  with  which  it  is  advocated 
as  a  theory.  There  is  probably  no  one  among  us  so 
little  versed  in  knowledge  of  himself  as  to  boast,  "  I, 
for  my  part,  love  my  neighbor  as  myself."  There  has 
been  no  human  being  on  the  face  of  the  earth,  from 
Adam's  day  down  to  our  own,  who  has  not  loved  himself 
more  than  his  fellow-man.  Taken  in  its  strict  sense,  the 
law  is  against  human  nature.  It  was  set  up  by  jMoses  as 
an  ideal  to  be  approached  more  and  more  nearly,  but 
without  any  prospect  of  its  complete  realization.  In  the 
development  of  the  religion  of  Israel,  as  shown  in  the 
I'eligious  writings  that  followed  the  books  of  Moses, 
there  is  no  reference  to  the  law  of  humanity  promul- 
gated in  the  Torah.  Not  until  twelve  hundred  years 
after  the  time  of  Moses  do  we  hear  the  famous  Golden 


SELF-RESPECT.  277 

Rule  of  Hillel.  This  law,  however,  is  not  "  Love*  thy 
neighbor  as  thyself,"  but  "  Do  not  unto  othei*s  what 
you  would  not  have  others  do  unto  you."  In  idea,  this 
is  very  far  removed  from  love,  but  as  a  duty,  it  lies 
within  the  range  of  man's  powers.  Synagogues  and 
churches  are  not  wanting  in  men  and  women  obeying 
this  Golden  Rule  in  their  lives,  and  even  going  far 
beyond  it  in  their  ivorks  of  love. 

The  law  of  love  of  our  fellow-man  is  to  be  our  ideal ; 
its  meaning,  therefore,  deserves  a  somewhat  closer  inves- 
tigation. We  translate  the  word  1^2^^)  in  our  text  as 
"  thou  shalt  love."  Love,  however,  is  stubborn,  and  will 
not  be  made  a  matter  of  duty.  Sympathy  comes  and 
goes,  and  gives  no  reason  for  its  erratic  course.  As  we 
noticed  earlier  in  the  discussion,  the  demand  for  love  for 
our  fellow-man  is  against  human  nature,  and  is  not  man's 
nature  also  the  work  of  God?  But  n^nxi  may  also 
mean,  be  charitable,  be  benignant.  This  demand  is  not 
unreasonable.  ^lan  can  comply  with  it,  if  such  be  his 
-will.  Rejoice  in  your  neighbor's  prosperity  ;  judge  him 
in  the  best  jxjssible  liglit;  give  him  all  due  honor,  and 
in  your  intercourse  with  him,  make  all  allowances  i'or 
his  deficiencies.  Sympathize  with  him  in  his  sorrow, 
pity  him  in  his  distress,  even  if  you  arc  unable  or  unwill- 
ing to  aid  Iiiin  in  deed.  Such  is  the  construction  that 
our  sages  put  upon  the  verse,  *'  lie  hunumc,"  they  say, 
"  even  in  the  manner  of  executing  sentence  of  death 
upon  a  criminal,  for  'thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as 
thyself.'  "     To  a.sk  love  for  u  criminal  would  be  dcmand- 

*  n^nXI  "  Thon  Bhalt  love  "  Is  hero  followed  by  the  dative  cose.  The 
verso  mny,  therefore,  be  IranslHled,  "  Ix)Vo  for  thy  neighbor,"  etc. 
Ilillel  evidently  tlms  tniiislatcd  the  verse,  for  bin  Golden  Uule  Is  merely 
the  negative  of  thiH  lujuiicliou.— ITr.J 


278  SABBATH   HOUES. 

ing  too  much,  but  one  may  be  kindly  disposed  even  towards 
those  going  to  the  scaffold. 

/^The  words  "as  thyself"  demand  a  somewhat  more 
thorough  discussion.  These  words  seem  to  make  the 
doctrine  still  unsafer  as  a  guide  in  life.  In  too  many 
instances,  our  neighbor  would  be  but  hardly  used,  were 
we  to  love  him  as  ourselves,  act  towards  him  as  towards 
ourselves.  Let  us  examine  our  lives  with  strictly  impar- 
tial scrutiny,  with  vision  unobscured  by  fatuous  self-love. 
Who  has  wrought  us  more  harm,  has  made  life  harder 
for  us  to  bear,  has  done  more  to  embitter  our  joys,  than 
we  ourselves  ?  And  we  consider  ourselves  as  belonging 
to  the  better  classes!  How  is  it,  then,  with  the  thou- 
sands lying  in  prison ;  with  those  wandering  aimlessly 
about  the  streets  ;  with  the  imcounted  hosts  of  thieves  and 
cheats,  who  bring  upon  themselves  want  and  distress, 
amid  which  they  perish,  ending  their  lives  in  poor-houses, 
or  it  may  be  by  their  own  hands  ?  All  these  men  loved 
themselves,  but  we  should  scarcely  feel  grateful  were  they 
to  show  us  in  our  intercourse  with  them  such  love  as 
they  have  shown  towards  themselves. 

Therefore,  let  man  first  learn  to  love  himself  wisely ;  that 
is  the  higher  duty.  A  man  must  be  of  worth  to  himself, 
before  he  can  be  of  worth  to  his  neighbor.  Beneficent  ^ 
and  enduring  love  is  founded  upon  respect.  If  we 
advance  "  Love  thyself,"  as  the  higher  principle,  it  is  in 
the  sense,  "  Man  respect  th3'self "  Far  be  it  from  the 
spirit  of  religion  to  demand  love  for  yourself,  in  your 
wild,  brutish  inclinations,  your  boundless  selfishness.  To 
love  one's  self  wisely  and  in  a  god-pleasing  manner,  means 
to  keep  far  from  one's  self  all  manner  of  impurity,  for 
every  sin  is  an  act  of  unkindness  toward  one's  self.     To 


\ 


SELF-RESPECT.  279 

ove  one's  self  means  to  do  <roocl  to  others,  for  your  reward 
is  great  in  your  own  heart  and  in  the  hearts  of  those 
about  you.  Your  friends  will  be  double  the  number  of 
those  befriended  by  you.  To  love  one's  self  means  to 
enjoy  God's  gifts,  but  only  in  such  a  way  as  not  to  lose 
one's  self  respect.  \Jie  pure,  be  honest,  be  u])Ttght,  be^ 
true,  kind  and  useful,  be  grateful  to  God  and  man,  be 
courteous  and  sociable  ;  thus,  your  love  for  yourself  will 
rest  ujwn  respect ;  you  will  be  a  friend  to  yourself,  and 
your  friendship  and  your  love  may  then  possess  some 
value  for  your  neighbor  ! 

The  princi})le  of  love  of  self  is  thus  developed  before 
the  idea  of  love  of  one's  fellow-man,  and  it  likewise 
takes  precedence  in  its  mention  in  the  Bible.  Man,  we 
are  told,  is  created  in  the  image  of  God,  which  means, 
"  Man,  do  not  hold  too  mean  an  o{)inion  of  y(nu>elf,  as  if 
created  for  no  other  purpose  than  to  eat,  drink  and  sleej) ; 
t(j  be  born  and  to  die  like  the  beast.  You  are  destined  for 
higher  things;  you  have  free-will;  you  can  do  good  and 
evil  to  others,  '^'ou  have  an  immortal  soul  extending 
beyond  this  eartldy  life;  you  have  intelligence.  Like 
God,  the  soul  is  invisible,  but  its  Ix-iiig  is  felt,  just  as  the 
being  of  the  Almighty  and  his  omnipotence  and  his  wi.s- 
flom  are  perceptible  in  his  works.  I'pon  your  counte- 
nance, the  Lord  has  l)reatlied  tlu;  living  soul.'"*  lioth 
mind  and  heart  speak  in  llu;  face  of  nuui.^l^lie  face  is 
the  mirror  ofmir  liinughts  and  eiiiotion.s.  In  it,  we  may 
read  acumen  and  stupidity,  benevolence  and  malice,  deep 
eanicstnes.s   and    uidxuiuded  covetou»ne.ia,  lidelity    and 


*  Liitlicr,  in  his  "Tnlde  Talk."  tnitiHlnUrit()ilH|iiin.xiiKciii  llu>  Rlblo  thiiH- 
"  He  Mew  iijurn  IiIh  coutitetiunce  a  llvlnK  Hplrit."  TIiIh  reinlitioti  wiui 
approved  by  Herder. 


280  SABBATH   HOURS. 

deceit,  wrath  and  equanimity,  love  and  hate,  despair  and 
resignation,  cunning  and  simplicity,  pride  and  humility, 
and  even  more  than  all  this  may  a  watchful  observer 
note  in  the  face  of  man !  Therefore,  man,  hold  not  too 
low  an  opinion  of  yourself!  Pay  honor  and  respect  to 
your  own  soul.  Even  your  fellow-man  may  read  your 
nature  in  your  face,  and  he  will  regard  you  with  respect 
or  contempt,  according  to  his  decision ;  how  much  bet- 
ter must  your  soul  be  known  to  your  Creator !  If,  when 
you  look  into  your  mirror,  you  see  unamiability  stamped 
on  your  countenance,  you  ought  to  feel  ashamed  even  in 
your  own  eyes.  You  will  thus  learn  to  love  yourself 
wisely,  to  grant  yourself  every  pleasure  that  does  not 
make  you  lose  the  respect  of  good  men  and  of  yourself. 
And  thus,  seeing  it  to  be  rooted  in  yourself,  a  part  of 
your  very  being,  remember  the  law  of  humanity,  the 
subject  of  contention  between  Cln-istianity  and  Judaism. 
In  the  strife,  let  us  not  allow  this  heavenly  child  to  per- 
ish ;  let  both  rather  cherish  it  with  tender  care. 


SUCCESS  AND  FAILURE. 

Lev.  XXII :  27. 

Success  is  the  all  powerful  argument,  deciding  beyond 
appeal  the  question  of  merit.  Reason,  morality,  the 
warning  voice  of  history,  are  all  mute  before  the  spec- 
tacle of  obvious  triumph. 

-  The  world  docs  not  inquire  whence  came  the  gold.  It 
matters  not  whether  it  l)C  of  low  and  sordid  origin,  or 
the  reward  of  honorable  service  ;  whether  it  shine  on  the 
breast  of  the  hero,  a  token  of  self-sacrificing  courage,  or 
gleam  in  the  hand  of  the  spy,  a  reward  for  treason. 
( iold  is  goldT^  So  with  success.  Success  is  jiroof  of  right- 
thinking,  of  cleverness,  of  wisdom  and  of  justice.  Suc- 
cess is  8ucces.s.^  The  path  on  which  the  goal  of  victory 
was  attained  ia  of  no  moinent."*'^^\s  soon,  however,  as 
fortune  deserts  a  man,  he  lo.scs,  in  a  moment,  not  only 
the  results  of  his  lal)or,  but  the  good  opinion  formerly 
held  by  his  fellow-men  of  his  endowments  of  heart  ami 
niin*!^  Such  is  the  fate  of  human  l)cings,  and  of  ideas, 
curn'Uts  of  tliougbt,  and  fa.«hions  as  well.  Tiiey  ride, 
their  triunii)h  is  nianifeHt,  and  hence  they  are  considered 
beautiful,  good,  true  and  right,  until  tlieir  kingdom  is 
taken  from  them;  but  when  that  time  cornea,  they  are 
no  longer  conceded  the  slightest  merit. 
, — C)ur  attention  is  directed  to  this  subject  to-day  by  a 
commentary  of  the  Midrash  on  the  morning's  portion. 

281 


282  THE  SABBATH. 

We  read  iu  EcclesiaBtes,  f]TiJ-inN  \^p'  D'hSxh,  "  God 
is  on  the  side  of  the  persecuted ;"  whereupon  the  Mid- 
rash  remarks,  "  God  espouses  the  cause  of  the  down- 
trodden against  the  oppressor.  Cain  was  the  oppressor 
of  his  brother  Abel,  and  the  Lord  turned  away  from 
the  former.  So  with  Noah  and  his  contemporaries. 
God  chose  Noah  from  all  the  men  of  liis  time.  Abra- 
ham and  Nimrod,  Jacob  and  Esau,  Joseph  and  his 
brothers,  Closes  and  Pharaoh,^David  and  Saul,  )Israel 
among  the  nations  of  the  earth — in  each  instance,  God 
is  found  on  the  side  of  the  oppressed.  So  w' ith  the  sacri- 
ficial animals ;  the  ox  is  hunted  down  by  the  lion,  the 
goat  by  the  leopard,  the  wolf  chases  the  lamb.  None 
of  these  pursuers  is  deemed  worthy  of  being  sacrificed ; 
only  the  pursued  and  long-suffering  animals  may  be  led 
to  the  altar.  Therefore,  we  read,  '  When  a  bullock,  or 
a  sheep,  or  a  goat,  is  brought  forth.'  "  (Lev.  XXII :  27.) 

In  his  faith  and  iu  his  practice,  Noah  stood  alone,  in 
opposition  to  all  the  men  of  his  time.  Such  was  the  rela- 
tion of  Abraham  and  of  Moses  to  their  respective  con- 
temporaries, and  such  was  the  position  of  Israel  and 
its  faith  in  all  lauds  and  times.  Every  epoch  furnishes 
examples  of  men  of  intellectual  strength  and  of  moral 
power,  holding  an  isolated  position  in  thought,  feeling 
and  tastes. 

The  masses  do  not  regard  with  indifference  the  volun- 
tary spiritual  separation  and  independent  position  of 
such  individuals ;  no,  they  harass  and  persecute  the 
men  and  women  that  dare  hold  different  opini(jns  and 
beliefs  from  those  current  with  their  contemporaries. 
The  non-conformists  are  jeered  and  vexed  in  a  thousand 
ways,  and  abused  until  their  discomfiture  seems  complete. 


SUCCESS   AND  FAILURE.  283 

^'  God  sides  ^^^th  the  oppressed."     Many  a  man,  occu- 
pying a  solitary  position  in  his  generation,  and  many  an 
idea  struggling  against  the  current  of  the  time,  are  on 
the  side  of  right  and  truth,  while  aberrations  of  feeling, 
taste  and  thought  may  make  up  the  sum  of  the  spiritual 
ife  of  "entire  epochsT^Os^oah,  holding  himself  aloof  from 
the  rudeness  about  him,  sutiering  violence  but  doing 
none,  avoiding  wickedness   in   the    midst   of  a   sinful 
world,   must   have   seemed    a   fool    in  the   eyes  of  his 
contemporaries.^^  From   a  human  point  of  view,  suc- 
cess was  not   on  his   ^cT^..^  Abraluim's   new  faith,  as 
the  legend  tells  us,  brought  him  mortal  danger.  T  His 
hours  of  leisure  were  filled  with  meditations,  not  con- 
ducive to  material   welfare^V  He  remained  true  to  a 
Go<l,  who  led  him  from  due  temptation  into  another. 
His  new  moral  code  set  certain  bounds  to  liis  earthly 
])]ea.<Mi-e57^\ll  this  must  have  made  his  life  apj)ear  a  — 
faikire  to  the  men  of  his  time;  nor  could  tliey  think  his 
(lea  the  correct  one,  nor  regard  Abraiiam  himself  as  a 
wi.se  and  far-seeing   man\y  .J(»seph's   j)e(uliar    way  of 
thinking    made    him    appear    an    idle    dreamer    to    his 
brothers. V/I-'or  eighty  years  it  was   Moses'   fate  to  be 
regard<'(I   as    a  foolish    man,    who    had  interii-nii    in   a 
quarrel  that  did   not  concern   liiiii  in  the   least,  and,  in 
con.sefjuence  of  which,  he  had  lo  live  as  a  stranger  in  a 
strange  land. 

s^And  how  h»w  wius  the  opinion  li«id  <d'  IsratI  and  its 
faith  in  the  times  and  on  the  scenes  of  iU*  oppreasion ! 
\'crily,  throughout  centuries,  Israel  and  its  faith  seemed 
anytliing  l»ut  triumphant,  ijjtit  (Io«l  i.M  with  the  op- 
j)res.-'ed.  (lod  looks  not  upon  success,  l)ut  upon  the 
spiritual  attitude.     If  the  principle  be  good,  though  it 


284  SABBATH    HOURS. 

lack  the  support  of  the  multitude,  God  will  be  with  it 
aud  its  upholders,  v 

"<rhe  poet  says:  NRight  is  with  the  living,"  or  as 
Ecelesiastes  expresses  it,\^A^  living  dog  fareth  better 
than  a  dead  lion."  Hence,  every  period  of  time  is 
looked  upon  as  the  best,  by  those  living  in  it ;  ours  is  no 
exception  to  the  rule.N"  The  nineteenth  century !"  With 
this  exclamation,  all  possible  praise  and  approval  are 
heaped  upon  its  institutions  and  the  opinions  of  the  mul- 
titude ;  for  the  century  is  alive,  life  is  success,  and  suc- 
cess means  everything  that  is  good  and  right.  \The  an- 
cient times  are  dead  and  gone,  and,  therefore,  they  are 
dismal  failures. \pthers,  again,  hold  that  the  olden  times 
achieved  more  than  the  new  in  faith  and  morality,  in 
domestic  and  social  life.N/They  think  that  a  dead  lion  is 
better  than  a  living  dog.  \^ut  the  important  point  is 
that  whether  the  oppressor  takes  a  stand  on  the  side  of 
the  old  or  of  the  new,  God  is  not  with  the  oppressor>r» 
Success  is  of  no  avail  as  an  argument  in  the  sight  of 
God. /\If  justice  and  right  be  on  their  side,  God  takes 
part  with  the  minority  against  the  majority,  with  the 
weak  against  the  strong,  with  the  living  against  the 
dead."^ 

\ Let  us,  too,  not  allow  our  judgment  to  be  biased  by, 
success  or  failure.     When  we  form  our  opinion  of  a  man, 

^^v  let  us  look  not  upon  the  fruits  of  his  life,  but  upon  the 
seed  sown  by  him.  \Many  a  one  sows  thistles,  and  reaps 
rich  and  luscious  fruits  ;xclo  not  decide,  on  that  account, 
to  sow  the  seed  of  thistles.  Another,  again,  plants  rarest 
grains,  and    rank  weeds  spring  up,  and    choke  them. 

^~Do  not,  therefore,  cease  to  sow  good  seeds  in  your  path  in 
life.  ^Man  does  his  share,  be  it  good  or  bad.  \Success — 


SUCCESS  AND   FAILURE.  285 

-  the  earthly  harvest  of  our  deeds — is  influenced  by  the 
winds  and  storms  of  fate,  which  lie  beyond  human  con- 
trol. \Let  no  one,  then,  believe  too  firmly  in  liis  own 
moral  and  mental  strength,  because  fortune  smiles  upon 
him^or  hold  too  mean  an  opinion  of  himself,  and  de- 
spair of  his  powers,  because  success  dues  not  crown  his 
efforts.  Look  with  impartial  eye  upon  the  condition 
of  your  aoiil.  See  whether  your  intentions  are  good, 
whether  you  have  done  the  best  in  your  power.  Let  suc- 
cess not  make  you  arrogant,  nor  defeat  dishearten  you. 
\And  let  us  all  make  it  a  rule  of  life  ever  to  be  the  par- 
tisans of  the  (ipprossed  and  the  weak. 

But  why  are  the  weak  ones  weak,  if  God  be  on  their 
side?  Why  are  the  oppressed  persecuted,  and  the 
down-trodden  abused  ?  We  may  as  well  ask,  "  Why 
is  the  bullock  strangled  by  the  lion?  Why  does  the 
leopard  rend  the  goat  ?  Why  is  the  lamb  torn  by  the 
wolf?  What  is  the  reason  for  the  sorrows  of  the  lielp- 
les.s?"     This  is  one  of  the  great  problems  of  the  universe. 

Honcc,  hold  not  too  high  an  opinion  of  the  lions,  the 
le(jpard.s  and  the  wolves  of  your  accjuaintance,  because 
their  cttbrts  meet  with  success.  Neither  tliink  nuanly 
of  the  sheep,  the  weak,  those  that  are  hunted  down, 
because  failure  is  their  lot  in  life. 


"LET   THY   BROTHER   LIVE  WITH  THEE!" 

Lev.  XXV  :  25-44. 

The  Hebrew  language  is  especially  rich  in  expressions 
for  poor.  We  have  hx  'j;%  |V3X,  B'l,  "^Vn,  pDO,  ">in;'.  On 
the  other  hand,  it  is  very  poor  in  words  for  the  idea  of 
wealth.  We  have  the  word  i'jy>%  and  possibly  also  J^ity. 
This  peculiarity  in  the  language  proves  how  much  atten- 
tion was  paid  to  the  poor  by  the  people  that  spoke  it. 
In  our  text  a  certain  term  is  used  to  describe  the  change 
from  wealth  to  poverty  (po  or  i^).  We  read,  "And  if 
thy  brother  become  poor,  and  fall  in  decay  with  thee : 
then  shalt  thou  assist  him,  yea,  though  he  be  a  stranger, 
or  a  sojourner,  that  he  may  live  with  thee.  Thou  shalt 
not  take  of  him  any  usury  or  increase ;  but  thou  shalt 
be  afraid  of  thy  God :  that  thy  brother  may  live  with 
thee."  And  again  we  read,  "If  thy  brother  become  poor, 
and  sell  away  some  of  his  possession :  then  may  his 
nearest  of  kin  come  and  redeem  what  his  brother  hath 
.sold."  The  time  set  for  the  redemption  of  a  house  within 
the  city  was  one  year ;  country  property  could  be  redeemed 
within  any  length  of  time.  If  the  property  was  not 
redeemed,  land  and  village  property  alike  had  to  revert 
to  the  original  owner  in  the  jubilee  year.  And,  finally, 
we  read  a  third  time,  "And  if  thy  brother  become  poor 
near  thee,  and  (he  sell  himself  unto  thee,  or)  be  sold 
unto  tliee:  tliou  shalt  not  compel  him  to  work  as  a 
bond-servant. 

286 


LET   THY    BROTHER    LIVE   WITH   THEE.  287 

"  But  as  a  hired  laborer,  as  a  sojourner  shall  he  be 
with  thee;  until  the  year  of  the  jubilee  shall  he  serve 
with  thee. 

"And  then  shall  he  depart  from  thee,  he  and  his  chil- 
dren with  him  ;  and  he  shall  return  unto  his  own  family, 
and  unto  the  possession  of  his  fathers  shall  he  return." 

If  a  man  sells  a  part  of  his  estate,  he  cannot  properly 
be  called  poor.  According  to  the  ^Fosaic  laws,  a  man's 
sale  of  his  own  person,  or  his  sale  by  warrant  of  tlie 
court,  to  satisfy  an  unpaid  debt,  signifies  only  that  he 
pledges  hiuKself  to  the  service  of  another  man  for  a  length 
of  time  not  exceeding  six  years.  But  he  is  not  poor  who 
is  able  to  pay  his  debts  with  the  fruit  of  his  labor,  and 
to  support  himself  by  service  rendered  to  others.  To 
this  class  of  unfortunates,  our  morning's  text  refers,  men 
declining  in  fortune,  but  not  yet  fallen,  .struggling  with 
adverse  fate,  but  yet  holding  out  against  its  attacks. 

The  phra.<e,  "  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself," 
is  extolled  by  all,  and  refuted  by  none  ;  many  a  one,  how- 
ever, feels  that  he  has  discharged  the  duty  here  laid  upon 
him  by  the  gift  to  the  j)oor  of  a  few  cents  or  a  few  dollars. 
The  man  so  reduced  in  means  that  he  is  un(l(iiial)ly 
pof)r  ha.>;  pa.<s('d  the  time  of  sorest  distress.  Not  only  will 
the  benevolence  of  others  not  allow  liini  to  want,  but  the 
iinier  struggle,  the  anguish  of  sinking  ever  hiwer,  no 
longer  makes  his  heart  heavy  within  liim.  i'overty  it.self 
is  not  8f»  hard  to  bear  as  the  journey  leading  to  it  from  .1 
|)osition  of  alHuence.  I  low  diflicidt  to  part  with  the  first 
acre,  the  second,  the  third  I  "I  was  a  well-to-do  farnur 
and  am  still  considered  such  by  my  neighbors,  but  I  shall 
.«oon  be  compelled  to  become  a  simple  day-laborer." 
Judge  of  the  feelings  of  the  man,  once  the  po.ssessor  of 


288  SABBATH   HOURS. 

a  broad  estate,  with  none  to  dictate  to  him,  but  many  in 
his  service  to  do  his  bidding,  when  forced  by  necessity 
to  enter  with  wife  and  child,  into  another's  employ,  he 
and  his  wife  as  well  compelled  to  act  as  the  servants  of 
strangers!  This  sorrowful  journey  from  wealth  to 
poverty  is  frequently  made  even  more  difficult  by  the 
painful  efforts  to  maintain  the  appearance  of  prosperity 
before  the  eyes  of  the  world.  Though  the  heart  aches, 
a  smile  of  contentment  must  play  upon  the  lips !  Sore 
distress  under  the  thread-bare  cloak  of  affluence ! 

To  render  assistance  to  struggling  and  sinking  fellow- 
creatures,  to  extend  to  them  a  helping  hand,  and  aid 
them  that  they  may  not  fall — this  is  the  active  love  of 
our  fellow-man  enjoined  on  us  by  the  Holy  Scriptures. 
INIoses  wrote  this  chapter  only  to  impress  the  importance 
of  this  duty  upon  his  people.  It  is  by  no  means  an 
exhaustive  treatment  of  the  subject,  but  merely  a  cita- 
tion of  examples.  In  it,  our  sympathy  and  help  are 
not  invoked  for  naked  poverty,  crying  aloud  for  bread, 
extending  the  begging  hand,  and  ever  ready  with  a 
word  of  gratitude  in  return  for  the  gift ;  but  for  him 
"  who  falls  in  decay  with  thee,"  or  literally,  whose  hand 
sinks  helpless  at  his  side.  He  does  not  stretch  forth  his 
hand  to  receive  help,  but  you  cannot  fail  to  notice  that 
it  drops  nerveless.  He  may  be  endowed  with  excellent 
qualities  of  mind  and  heart,  but  to  amass  and  maintain 
a  fortune  requires  skill  of  hand  as  well.  To  you,  not  to 
the  world  at  large,  it  is  plain  that  his  hand  hangs  use- 
less at  his  side. 

For  the  care  of  the  destitute,  for  orphans  and  widows, 
for  the  helpless  and  aged,  charity  provides.  Their  dis- 
tress is  alleviated  by  public  institutions  and  the  united 


LET   THY    BROTHER    I-IVK    WITH    THEE.  289 

efforts  of  benevolent  men  and  women.  But  public  in- 
stitutions are  powerless  to  aid  those  succumbing  in  their 
struggles  against  fate,  for  the  publication  of  their  dis- 
tress would  be  an  even  greater  trial  than  want  itself. 
They  shrink  from  confessing  to  themselves  how  sad  is  the 
future  tliat  awaits  them.  A  tender  heart,  a  heart  filled 
with  love  for  humanity,  must  here  seek  to  bring  help 
in  word  and  deed,  unseen  of  all  but  God  alone.  "  Thou 
sbalt  be  afraid  of  thy  God !"  And  the  text  adds,  "  I 
am  the  Lord."  The  thought,  "God,  the  Holy  One, 
sees  me,  I  shall  find  grace  in  the  sight  of  the  all-merci- 
ful Father,"  is  most  precious  to  him  who  acts  as  an 
unknown  benefactor  to  his  fellow-creatures  in  distress. 
More  precious  than  tears  of  gratitude;  than  expressions 
of  praise  and  approval  in  countless  newspapers;  than 
monuments  of  marble  and  of  bronze,  is  the  reflection, 
"  I  am  acting  in  God's  spirit,  for  God,  too,  unseen  of 
any  one,  heals  the  heart  wounded  by  sorrow,  and  from 
his  invisible  hand,  the  whole  world  is  fed." 

"That  man  is  not  poor,"  some  may  say,  "  lu-  has  still 
resources  upon  which  he  may  depend  for  his  sustenance. 
'He  ha'^  sold  away  some  of  his  possession.'"  Tliou, 
who  art  a  friend  to  mankind,  do  not  wait  until  all  the 
resources  of  thy  iellow-man  are  exhausted.  Ah  soon  as 
he  is  compelled  by  necessity  to  brf/ln  parting  with  his 
pfjssessions,  "then  shalt  thou  assist  him,"  lend  him  a 
helping  hand.  "  iJut  we  cannot  all  be  rich  !  Lit  him 
sink  into  poverty.  There  is  still  time  to  help  him  when 
he  has  become  quite  needy."  "Let  thy  br<»ther  live 
mth  thee."  Let  it  be  a  jjicaBurc  to  thee,  to  have  him 
live  7iext  to  thee,  in  uixlistiirbed  prosperity,  not  oppressed 
by  care  and  sunken   far  below  thee  in  worldly  station. 

20 


290  SABBATH   HOURS. 

We  read  further,  "  Thy  money  shalt  thou  not  give  him 
upon  usury."  lu  another  place  i^^'  "^wa  "i^tSd  l^w:  is 
added  (Dcut.  XXIII :  20);  that  is,  nothing  that  bites, 
that  makes  him  suffer  shalt  thou  impose  upon  him.  Do 
not  accompany  thy  charitable  deed  with  biting  words. 
Thy  benevolence  does  not  give  thee  the  right  to  assume 
the  character  of  a  lordly  patron. 

"What  Moses  calls  selling,  would  in  our  days  be  con- 
sidered entering  into  the  service  of  others.  How  many 
young  and  old  men,  women  and  girls  nowadays  con- 
sider themselves  fortunate,  if  the  opportunity  be  afforded 
them  of  earning  their  living  in  the  employ  of  strangers ! 
Many  of  them  have  seen  better  days,  when  they  them- 
selves were  masters  and  had  servants  of  their  own  at 
their  beck  and  call.  "  Thou  shalt  not  rule  over  them 
with  rigor."  If  now  thou  art  become  a  master  over 
them,  be  not  only  their  superior,  lording  it  over  them 
at  will,  but  be  also  a  helpful  friend,  of  whom  they  may 
seek  advice ;  do  not  treat  them  as  slaves. 

In  the  ^neid,  Virgil  makes  his  hero  prophesy  as  to 
the  future  of  Rome,  and  he  says  :  "  Others  will  surpass 
thee  in  fluency  of  speech,  in  arts,  in  science ;  thou  wilt 
show  thy  pre-eminence  in  exercising  rulership  over  the 
whole  world."  Israel  can  apply  this  description  to  its 
own  career,  but  in  a  different  and  nobler  sense.  Israel 
is  surpassed  by  others  in  the  number  of  artists,  of  men 
of  wisdom,  of  discoverers  and  inventors.  As  men  the 
achievements  of  Israelites  in  all  human  arts  may  com- 
pare favorably  or  unfavorably  with  those  of  others ;  their 
Judaiiin  plays  no  part  in  their  worldly  success  or  failure. 
But  in  faitli  and  iu  theoretical  and  practical  humanity, 
Israel  ought  to  become  the  ruling  power  of  the  world. 


LET  THY   BROTHER   LIVE  WITH  THEE.  291 

Thirty-five  hundred  years  ago  these  doctrines  of  human- 
ity stood  alone  in  the  world ;  to-day  they  are  no  longer 
good  enough  for  those  that  consider  themselves  represen- 
tative of  the  best  thought  of  our  day.  The  belief  in  one 
God,  and  in  his  pure,  moral  Law,  with  its  great  chapter 
on  humanity,  stands  upon  a  royal  road  of  the  world's 
history,  and  is  destined  to  ride  in  triumph  over  tli*  whole 
earth.  A  language  reveals  the  spirit  of  those  that 
speak  it.  The  Germans  say  dein  Ndchstcr  or  Nebenmeuftch ; 
the  Englishman  speaks  of  his  neighbor  and  fellow-man ; 
the  Hebrew  language  uses  the  word  friend,  as  in 
■]10D  i;^iS  n^riNi,  or,  as  in  our  morning's  text,  the  still 
more  loving  term,  brother.  Not  the  Israelite  alone  is 
spoken  of  as  a  friend  or  a  brother;  the  term  is  also 
applied,  as  (jur  text  again  illustrates,  to  the  strangers 
that  sojourn  in  the  land, 

We  live  among  a  nation  not  inferior  to  Israel  in  char- 
ity and  humanity.  Let  us  strive  not  to  fall  short  of  its 
standard  in  acts  of  benevolence;  let  us  rather  exert  our- 
selves to  keep  in  advance  of  it,  so  that,  when  our  Law- 
has  won  f(»r  itself  the  rulcrship  of  the  world,  Israel's  may 
b(;  the  undisputed  right  to  bear  aloft  the  banner  bearing 
the  inscription,  "  Ivct  thy  brother  live  with  thee!" 


KNOW  THYSELF. 

"And  the  Lord  spoke  unto  Moses,  saying,  Speak  unto  Aaron,  and  say 
unto  him,  When  thou  lightest  the  lamps,  then  shall  the  seven  lamps 
give  light  toward  the  body  of  the  candlestick."— Numbers  VIII :  1-2. 

According  to  our  text,  the  six  lamps  upon  the  six 
branches  of  the  candlestick  were  to  be  so  turned  as  to 
shed  light  upon  the  body  of  the  candelabrum.  The 
lamp  was  to  be  a  light  unto  itself,  its  beams  were  to  serve 
primarily  for  illumination  of  itself. 

These  instructions  form  a  fitting  introduction  to  the 
Avhole  chapter,  which  treats  of  the  conduct  of  the  Levites 
in  their  sacred  calling.  The  tribe  of  Levi  was  to  be  a 
light  unto  the  people,  shining  before  them  in  precept  and 
example.  It  was,  therefore,  necessary  for  the  Levites  to 
be  a  light  unto  themselves,  examining  their  own  souls 
by  the  searching  rays  of  scrutiny  and  trial,  before  they 
could  be  able  and  worthy  to  guide  others  by  the  light 
of  their  example. 

All  of  us  may  well  take  to  heart  the  instruction  here 
given  to  the  Levites.  Let  us  allow  our  light  to  pene- 
trate our  own  souls,  before  we  concentrate  its  rays  upon 
the  thoughts  and  feelings,  the  words  and  actions  of 
others. 

To  know  himself  is  man's  most  difficult  task  as  well 
as  his  most  imperative  duty.  As  we  find  suitable  Bibli- 
cal verses  or  pious  sentiments  inscribed  upon  the  doors 

292 


KNOW   THYSELF.  293 

of  our  houses  of  worship,  so  over  the  portal  of  a  Greek 
temple  luight  have  been  read  the  legend,  "  Know  thyself" 
The  twofold  evil — lack  of  self-knowledge  and  exces- 
sive illumination  of  the  actions  and  sins  of  others — 
grows  worse  with  the  progress  of  civilization.  Among 
civilized  nations,  appreciation  of  right  and  wrong  is 
almost  universal,  but  not  every  one  posse^Jses  the  moral 
strength  to  be  virtuous  and  live  according  to  law.  Hy- 
pocrisy lends  its  aid  in  concealing  deficiencies,  and  in 
the  place  of  true  morality  of  conduct  we  have  the  ap- 
pearance  of  morality.  AVhen  the  Empress  Catherine  of 
Russia  was  journeying  through  the  ("rinica,  her  all-pow- 
erful favorite  had  the  country  lying  along  tlic  road  on 
whicli  she  was  travelling  decorated,  to  some  distance  on 
each  side,  with  rej^resentations  of  pleasant  villages,  neat 
farms,  smiling  fields  and  grazing  herds  of  cattle  in  order 
to  deceive  the  ruler  as  to  the  true,  d&solate  condition  of 
the  country. 

These  painted  villages  corrcspoiid  to  the  gestures, 
forms  of  speech  and  action  current  in  civilized  society; 
tliey  are  really  jiainted  virtues.  Were  the  civilized 
world  in  reality  as  it  appears  to  the  superficial  observer, 
eartli  woul<l  be  a  glorious,  nay,  a  heaveidy  alxtde.  Tlic 
few  human  beings  in  the  houses  of  correction  are  as  noth- 
ing compared  with  the  vast  numbers  of  men  on  eartli. 
The  men  that  are  at  large,  if  taken  to  be  what  they  pre- 
tend to  l)e,  are  the  very  impersonations  of  virtue. 

Yet  we  know  in  our  heart.'*  that  such  is  not  the  case. 
We  know  that  in  the  forms  of  speech  and  intercourse  <»f 
the  most  cultivated  circles,  mere  show  is  oHl-rcd  in  jdace 
of  reality.  At  the  ver)'  zcnitli  of  Koman  culture. 
Augustus  reignt  d  fur  forty-four  years,  the  most  powerful 


294  SABBATH   HOURS. 

man  in  the  most  powerful  realm  on  earth.  In  his  dying 
hour,  he  said  to  his  friend  and  adviser,  Maecenas, 
"  Have  I  played  my  part  well  ?"  If  a  man  with  the 
power  of  Augustus,  before  whom  a  world  lay  prostrate, 
felt  compelled  to  throw  the  cloak  of  hypocrisy  over  his 
purple  robes ;  if,  in  the  solemn  hour  of  death,  seeing 
himself  as  he  really  was,  he  made  the  confession  that 
he  had  been  acting  a  part  in  life — surely  we  can  feel  no 
surprise  at  Kant's  assertion  that  men,  in  general,  in 
becoming  more  civilized,  develop  more  and  more  into 
actors. 

These  observations  are  not  recorded  as  an  accusation 
or  a  reproach  against  society.  If  such  were  our  idea, 
we  should  necessarily  have  to  regard  civilization  as  an 
evil.  In  reality,  no  greater  honor  could  be  shown  to 
virtue,  nor  could  her  divine  origin  be  more  clearly 
manifested,  than  in  the  phenomenon  that  those  possess- 
ing neither  the  strength  nor  the  inclination  to  lead  a  life 
of  virtue,  feel  it  incumbent  upon  them  to  honor  it  by 
simulating  its  appearance.  Virtue  is  like  the  sun ;  the 
reflection  cast  upon  the  earth  at  dawn  is  followed  by  the 
sun  himself  So  he  that  practises  the  appearance  of 
virtue  accustoms  himself  to  virtue  itself:  he  grows  to 
love  it  as  we  love  everything  that  is  habitual,  and 
finally  becomes  truly  virtuous. 

Simplicity  alone  is  deceived  by  appearances.  Every 
thinking  civilized  being  knows  that  marks  of  affection, 
of  respect,  of  decorum,  of  unselfishness  in  word  or 
action,  may  be  either  a  mere  pretence  or  a  proof  of  real 
feeling.  If  a  person  says  to  me,  "  Consider  my  house 
your  home,"  he  is  not  using  an  hypocritical  phrase 
for  I  know  that  the  offer  is  made  with  the  assumption 


KNOW   THYSELF.  295 

that  it  will  not  be  taken  seriously,  A  savage,  on  the 
other  hand,  would  look  upon  the  invitation  as  a  genuine 
offer. 

Imagine  a  world  entirely  wanting  in  decorum,  in 
manners,  in  a  sense  of  shame,  in  courtesy,  in  roHnement, 
a  world  in  which  all  the  poison  seething  in  the  heart  of 
men,  were  poured  out  in  society,  in  which  the  nlimber  of 
good  actions  would  I)e  lin)ited  by  inclination,  in  which 
kind  words  and  pleasant  smiles  would  be  exchanged  oidy 
when  prompted  by  true  kindliness  of  feeling — how  miser- 
able were  human  existence  in  this  world!  8uch  a 
condition  would  mean  the  end  of  all  sociability,  of  all 
tranquillity,  of  all  contentment.  AVere  no  word  to  be 
spoken,  no  act  performed,  however  good  in  itself,  unless 
called  forth  by  correspondingly  good  feeling,  true  virtue, 
which  gradually  develops  under  cover  of  the  assumption 
of  virtue,  would  be  but  a  rare  phenomenon. 

Decorum,  a  regard  for  appearance,  ])oliteness,  the 
friendly  exchange  of  sentiments  of  regard,  make  up  the 
small  coin  of  virtue.  Small  change  is  always  alloyed 
with  ba-ser  metal,  and  therefore  does  not  possess  the 
intrinsic  value  of  gold,  tint  nevertheless,  it  is  indispens- 
able a.s  a  medium  of  exchange. 

If  a  fellow-being  manifests  a  kindly  disposition  towards 
you,  if  he  is  polite  and  attentive,  give  him  credit  for  his 
kindness,  even  though  you  think  that  his  heart  is  not  in 
the  act.  If  a  friend  fails  to  meet  with  y(»ur  exj)eetatit»ns 
of  him,  be  not  1*^)0  bitter  ir)  your  denunciations;  you 
should  liave  remenibend  tlmt  voii  aie  dealing  with  a 
civilized  being,  who  drops  many  a  phnwe  tlmt  lie  docs 
not  mean  seriously,  because  he  takes  it  for  granted  lli.if 
he  will  not  be  jield   to  his  word.      Aristotle    eoninienees 


290  SABBATH   HOURS. 

e 

an  address  Avitli  these  words,  "  My  friends !     There  are 
no  friends !" 

On  the  other  hand,  let  the  light  of  criticism  penetrate 
deeply  into  your  own  heart,  into  the  recesses  of  your 
thoughts  and  feeling.  Turn  the  seven  lamps  of  your 
reason  inward  upon  yourself.  Examine,  by  their  light, 
how  your  sentiments  and  actions  harmonize  with  each 
other.  Be  not  content  with  the  simulation  which  you 
excuse  in  others.  You  must  not  pry  too  deeply  into  the 
motives  of  your  fellows-men,  but  bring  the  searching  light 
of  scrutiny  sharply  to  bear  upon  the  grounds  of  your 
own  action.  Strive  io  be  that  Avhich  you  find  it  well  to 
appear.  When  you  light  the  lamp  of  reason,  let  its  light 
be  cast  principally  upon  yourself  Be  like  Augustus, 
the  mighty  emperor ;  like  Kant,  the  strict  moralist,  the 
great  thinker,  and  let  us  add,  on  the  authority  of  our 
text,  like  Aaron,  the  first  high-priest ! 


CHARACTER  SKETCHES  FRO^[  THE  BIBLE. 


MOSliS,    KORACH,    IJATIIAN    AND    ABIRAM. 


NlMBERS   XVI. 

Koracli  speaks  of  the  "  people  of  the  Lord  "  and  its 
holiness.  He  aecuse.s  Moses  and  Aaron  of  tyranny  ami 
presumption  in  the  administration  of  the  saered  (»Hiee. 
We,  h(j\vever,  understand  tlie  purpose  of  his  accusation  ; 
we  can  clearly  see  the  secret  desi<;^n  of  his  speech  to  the 
people.  He  adopts  the  tone  <>f  nil  ilrmagogues  and 
ottice-seekers,  flattering  the  masses^  misrepresenting  the 
conditions  of  the  time,  and  slandering  the  party  in 
power.  "The  people!  Tiie  people's  rights!"  is  their 
cry.  The  meaning  of  their  harangue  is  ever,  "  IMaco 
the  power  into  our  hands!  L<"t  us  guard  your  riglits!" 
We  know  well  the  design  of  Korach's  agitation.  His 
eye  is  on  the  high-priest's  olhce.  Ifr  wishes  to  rule  the 
"people  of  tlir  Lniij."  Aiiihilion  wa.-  tlic  mainsi)ring 
of  his  action. 

N^  Among  all  the  pa.'*8ion.««,  and)ition  is  the  most  danger- 
(»u.-<.  The.  darkest  pages  in  lii.^tury  have  heen  painteil 
in  its  luri«l  colors.^  When  rule«I  hy  any  other  paKsion,'' 
man  is  fully  conscious  that  lie  is  doing  wrong.  Thtf 
gand)ler,  the  flrunkard,  tiie  rake,  (he  thief,  the  Bwindler, 
the   volujauary,  all   well    know   that  they  are  pursuing 

ii97 


r 


298  SABBATH   HOURS. 

the  path  of  evil ;  but  they  are,  or  think  themselves,  too 
weak  to  forsake  their  wicked  ways,  aud  follow  their  in- 
ward promptings  to  a  better  life.^The  man  of  ambition, 
on  the  other  hand,  believes  himself  worthy  of  the  honor 
to  which  he  aspires,  f  He  thinks  that  he  is  laying  claim 
merely  to  that  which  is  his  due  ;  he  holds  that  the  world 
is  defrauding  him  of  his  rights.  The  stronger  his  con- 
fidence in  the  justice  of  his  claim,  the  bolder  and  the 
more  decided  will  be  the  stand  taken  by  him. 

Aml)ition,^nlike  the  other  passions  which  generally 
-ule  petty  soius^^is  usually  most  active  in  men  of  genius, 
of  extraordinary  ability.  ^To  this  peculiarity,  it  is  due, 
that,  as  far  as  the  public  welfare  is  concerned,  it  is  the 
most  dangerous  of  all  the  passion^  The  power  stirring 
within  tlie  man  of  ambition  seeks  an  outlet  for  its  exer- 
cise,, a  field  wherein  it  may  turn  its  energies  to  account. , 
The  endowments  of  the  man  of  ambition  are  not  always 
imaginary ;  they  may  be  of  undeniable  excellencCf 
Recognition  of  his  abilities  alone  is  wanting,^or  does 
the  opportunity  offer  itself  for  procuring  this  recogni- 
tion by  proper  meanSj/  In  his  impatience  he^akes  the 
very  foundation  of  societ^calling  to  his  aid  the  powers 
of  deceit  and  violence. 

Such  was  the  case  with  Korach.  His  unsatisfied  am- 
bition ^Tought  havoc  in  Israel,  aiid^rought  misery  to 
thousands  upon  thousands  implicated  in  the  rebellion.. 
Before  Korach 's  appearance  upon  the  scene,  the  mate- 
rial for  insurrection  lay  ready  in  the  community,  need- 
ing but  the  necessary  touch  to  set  it  aflame  ;ngnoble 
purposes  stirred  in  the  hearts  of  many  in  IsraelT  But 
the  order  of  the  community  would  not  have  been  dis- 
turbed thereby.     The  disaffection  of  petty  minds  would 


CHARACTER   SKETCHES   FROM   THE    BIBLE.        299 

not  have  burst  forth  into  the  flames  of  rehellionj)  Cour-   •  • 
age  and  decision  were  lacking.  /  The  ambition  of  one 

— -  man,  however,  served  to  set  the  whole  mass  ablaze.  All 
the  passions, seething  in  the  hearts  of  petty  men;  all  the 
malice  which  had  been  ashamed  to  show  itself  in  the 
light  of  day,  now  l)ur.st  forth  in  united  strength.  The 
master-passion,  ambition,  broke  tlie  dam  of  public  order, 
and  the  full  Hood  of  cowardly  sinners  poured  into  the 
cam}). 

«  ^  ^  As  ambition  is  the  most  dangerous  of  the  pa.ssions,  it 
is  also  the  noblest  of  them  all.  To  devote  thouglit  and 
scheming,  toil  and  energy  fto  low,  sensual  delights,  to 
material  gain  in  gold  or  goods,  to  drink,  to  gambling,  is 
the  mark  of  a  ba.se  and  vulgar  nature.  For,  when  our 
oljjects  in  life  are  so  unworthy  of  our  dignity  as  human 
beings,  as  are  these,  then  the  nobly-l)orn  soul  nuist 
degrade  itself  to  the  position  of  sl;i\  (  to  the  l)()dy.  But 
honor  is  one  of  the  finest  of  the  pleasures  of  life  ;  honor 
is  a  true  delight  to  the  soul.  The  body  nnist  deny  itself 
'nuich,  must  sacrifice  much,  must  do  its  utmost,  so  that 
the  soul  nuiy  enjoy  the  fulness  of  hon()r^  Korach,  as-  o  c 
#  -  the  most  dangerous  of  the  mutineei-s,  merited  the  most 
severe  punishment.^  His  name,  therefore,  is  identified 
with  the  rebellion  ;  heavy  was  the  penalty  paid  iiir  his 

guilt,  r  He  wa.4  the  guiltiest  among  the  rebels,  but  not 

the  worst.  ,  Therefore,  despite  his  guilt,  we  find  that,  in 
other  sections  (»f  the  liihie,  the  descMiirJiints  of  Korach 
are  men  highly  hononij  in  the  comnumityyv  NN'c  find 
poets  among  them  mimI  liinious  singers,  by  their  efibrt.'* 
contributing  mu<li  to  the  iMiiiity  of  the  Teiriple  service.  • 

,  I  _  Therefore,  the  Bible  says,  "  But  the  sons  of  Kor:i(  li 
did  not  die."     The  error  of  the  father  was   not   visited 


300  SABBATH  HOURS. 

upon  the  children.  *  His  noble  qualities,,  his  ability  to 
work  his  way  out  of  the  common  mass,, and,  from  the 
height  attained,  influence  the  life  of  the  community — 
this  was  the  inheritance  of  his  children  and  his  chil- 
dren's children. 
^  The  children  of  Korach,  who,  according  to  the  Holy 
Scriptures,  did  not  die  with  their  father,  include  not  only 
the  heirs  of  his  body,  but  his  sjnritual  descendants  as 
well.  ^Vhoever  feels  within  himself  the  ability  to  be  of 
—  use  in  the  community^  whoever  seeks  to  be  the  right 
—  man  in  the  right  place,  will  also  feel  the  desire  to  occupy 
this  place,  and  stepping  forth  from  the  seclusion  of 
private  life„to  take  upon  himself  the  burdens,  the  cares, 
the  dangers,,  and  in  the  end  also  the  ingratitude  of 
publieseryice. 

Korach's  spirit  thus   lived   again  in  Alexander,  in 
/    .Julius    Caesar,  in    Napoleon — all  of  them   great  men, 
1     fitted  for  the  high  position  which  they  won  for  them- 
selves by  virtue  of  their  superior  powers,  but  censurable 
for  the  means  employed  in  attainment  of  this  end;  for* 
.  their  violence,  intrigues,  breach  of  faith,  and  bloodshed. 
Like  Korach's,  theirs,  too,  was  an  end  of  horror. 

Let  us  turn  to  the  picture  presented  by  the  life  of      / 
-•     Dathan  and  Abiram. 

Quite  unlike  Korach,  these  men  seem  neither  danger- 
ous nor  worthy  of  the  least  respect.  Their  characters 
were  low,  and  their  motives  mean,  nor  did  they  possess 
the  necessary  strength  to  do  harm.  They  met  the  ad- 
vances of  Moses  anrl  his  offer  of  a  jjeaceable  adjustment 
of  difficulties  in  a  malicious  spirit,  with  foolish  and  irra- 
tional words.  Like  all  low-minded  men,  they  looked 
with  hatred  upon  any  one  of  noble  aims,  and,  therefore, 


CHARACTER  SKETCHES   FROM   THE   BIBLE.        301 

they  were  iiistinctively  the  personal  enemies  of  Moses, 
^e  idealist,  tlie  man  of  lofty  thought^  They  reproach  a  » 
Moses  with  having  led  the  children  of  Israel  out  of 
Egypt,  the  land  of  felavcry,  it  is  true,  but  of  slavery 
sweetened  wit"^  milk  and  honey.  They  failed  to  appre-  '  « 
ciate  the  work  of  Mdscs  as  the  savior  of  the  people, 
their  teacher  and  leader;^ even  the  promise  of  fertile 
lands  for  their  children  was  without   value  for  them. 

^ey  wished  to  have  fields  and  vineyards  for  themselvesim  Q  j 
They  belonged  to  that  class  of  people,  to  whom  nothiiig/', 
is  worth  the  cHort  expended  on  obtaining  it,  except 
money  and  worldly  goods,  fields  and   meadows;  to-4lif 

(class  that  would  joj-fully  surrender  ]\Iouut  Sinai  for  a 
vineyard,  a  world  of  ideals  for  a  tangible  possessioii^_^ 
^Dathan  and  Abirani,  too,  have  passed  away,  but  their 
vulgarity  of  soul  still  lives  on  in  the  world. 

In  every  undertaking,  the  question  is  raised,  "  "Will  it 
bring  us  to  the  land  flowing  with  milk  and  honey':' 
What  is  the  use  of  diligent  study  of  the  l^aw,  of  scien- 
tific investigation,  oi'  poetry  and  art,  if  tliey  cannot  help 
us  to  obtain  fields  and  vineyarils,  if  tlii'y  will  not  fill  our 
coffers  with  gold  ?" 

M:iti  il;i]  lilrsgings  iirc  by  no  means  to  be  desj)ised. 
Who  does  nf)t  strive  to  possess  them  V  Hut  side  liy  sid(> 
with  our  efforts  for  eartlily  possessions,  we  nmst  still  find 
Uuw.  fi)r  higher  things.  Wlien  «)ur  interest  or  our  jtar- 
-~~  tieipati(jn  in  a  good  cause  is  asked,  we  should  not  always 
^^  in(|uire  as  to  the  worldly  advantage  tluit  we  nuiy  gain 
from  our  eH()'is,  (Tn  his  anxiety  for  his  acres  and  vine- 
yards, his  milk  amT  honey,  ni:ii:  nni-t  not  lose  sight  n\' 
the  demands  of  the  heart  and  tlie  soul,  the  welfare  nf 
mankind,  the  good  of  posterity,  immortality  and  the  life 

Bi:  Nor  Ll'Kli    JIHRVHNU'  WHO  M'     '    ' 
RBcjziifiisc    A   Rn-WAFD. 


302  SABBATH   HOURS. 

hereafter ;   otherwise  he  will  perish   iu   the   desert  of 
worldly  interests  as  Dathan  and  Abiram  sank  into  the 
^earth,  and  were  lost  forever.  «-5>. 

\^he  third  character  sketch  is  that  of  MosesJI 

'  '  Dathan  and  Abiram  seek  indemnity  in  fields  and 
vineyards  for  the  losses  which,  they  maintain,  they  have 
suffered  in  leaving  the  land  of  Egypt.  $  To  them,  Moses 

— ,  says,  " '  I  have  not  taken  away  an  ass  of  any  one  of 
them.'  Have  I  asked  for  one  beast  of  burden  in  re- 
turn for  my  services  ?  I  have  sacrificed  my  life,  all  my 
strength  in  this  cause ;  where  are  my  fields  and  my  vine- 

.^^  yards  ?  , '  Nor  have  I  done  wrong  to  any  one  of  them.' 
Where  is  even  one  man,  whose  rights  I  have  injured 
in  the  fulness  of  my  authority?" 

Here  we  have  the  picture  of  a  man  sacrificing  himself 
for  the  world,,for  its  improvement  and  elevation.     He  -• 

- —  took  upon  himself  the  leadership  of  the  people,  and 
wielded  his  power  like  a  great  man,  and  that,  at  a  time, 
when  there  was  little  prospect  of  honor  or  success,,when 
he   could  see   only  labor  and   care   in   store  for  him.» 

t  »  When  he  made  his  first  petition  to  Pharaoh,  there  surely 
was  none  to  envy  him  :  no  K orach,  no  Dathan,  no 
Abiram  showed  his  face  then.  Later,  however,  when 
■"  seeming  impossibilities  had  been  achieved,  when  the 
daring  undertaking  had  been  crowned  with  success,  and 
Moses  stood  before  them  in  the  fulness  of  his  power, 
then  the  envious  sought  to  injure  him,  and  to  wrest  from 
the  leader,  tried  awl  true,  the  reins  of  authority,  r  From  ' 
his  height,  irowcver,  he  could  call  to  them:  "  For  whose 
sake  do  I  stand  here  upon  the  watch-tower  ?  Not  for 
my  own  sake,  and  not  for  the  sake  of  those  near  unto 
me.     I  climbed   this  height,  and   now  hold  it  in  yow 


CHARACTEK   SKETCHES    FROM   THE   BIBLE.        303 

interesjt.  '  jNIy  office  has  brought  me  no  field  aud  uo 
vineyard,  neither  milk  nor  honey  has  been  my  reward. 
Mine  was  the  very  beast  of  burden  that  carried  me  on 
the  journey,  from  ^lidian  into  Egypt,  undertaken  in 
behalf  of  your  liberation." 


"PEOPLE  OF  THE  LORD." 

KuMBERS  XI :  27-29  and  XVI. 

In  the  "  Sayings  of  the  Fathers,"  we  find  the  sage  ad- 
vice to  scholars  to  choose  their  words  carefully  in  their 
discourses,  so  that  their  pupils  may  not  misunderstand 
them,  and  thus  be  led  to  spread  erroneous  doctrines. 

The  quarrel  between  Moses  and  Korach  furnishes  a 
striking  example  of  the  harm  that  may  be  wrought  by 
the  misconstruing  of  even  the  sublimest  truths.  Sin  is 
rarely  shameless  enough  to  show  itself  in  all  its  naked- 
ness, and  say,  "  I  am  sin  ;  I  know  what  I  am,  and  you,  too, 
may  know  it.  It  matters  not  to  me  that  you  recognize 
me  in  my  true  character."  No  ;  sin  speaks  not  thus,  but 
rather  loves  to  clothe  itself  in  the  garb  of  virtue.  Olany 
a  misdemeanor  is  not  committed,  solely  because  it  is  im- 
possible for  tlie  offence  to  maintain  the  appearance  of 
respectability  Rudeness  seeks  to  excuse  itself,  saying, 
"  There  is  no  deceit  in  me.  I  am  perfectly  frank  and 
open."^  Hard-heartedness  explains  its  position  thus: 
"  We  must  not  spoil  the  poor  by  heaping  benefits  upon 
them,'j  and  the  Israelite  that  seeks  to  make  his  religion 
as  convenient  to  himself  as  possible  says,  "  This  is  phi- 
losophy !" 

In  the  last  Sabbath's  portion,  we  were  told  how  two" 
highly-esteemed  laymen  in  Israel  had  prophesied  to  the 
people,  because  "  the  spirit  rested  upon  them."     Eager    / 


PEOPLE   OF  THE   LORD.  805 

informers  lost  no  time  in  telling  Moses  of  the  occurrence.^ 
To  them,  Moses  said,  "  O,  that  we  might  render  all  the 
people  of  the  Lord  proi:)hets ;  that  the  Lord  would  pour 
out  his  spirit  upon  them  !" 

Moses  had  spoken  of  Israel  as  a  "  people  of  the 
Dn-d."  Shortly  afterward,  Koracli  appeared  at  the 
head  of  a  misguided  party  in  rebellion  against  the  exist- 
ing order,  with  an  argument  taken  from  Moses'  own 
speech — "  people  of  the  Lord  !" 

CNo  doul)t,  the  greedy  office-seekers  were  ashamed  to 
pose  their  petty  malice  and  their  utter  worthlessness  to 
the  sterling  character  of  ■\Ioses.     Therefore,  they  acted  , 
in  the  capacity  of  advocates  of  the  "  jjCdple  of  the  Lord." 
The  majesty  of  the  whole  people  could,  despite  his  great-'! 
ness,  he  boldly  set  up  in  opposition  to  Moses.     Had  jiotj, 
rMoses  himself  called  them  "  peojjle  of  the  LordT^   If  it   "' 
^"was'triieTas  ISfoses  Trad"  salTI,  tliat  every  Uhe  in   Israel 
might   be  a   prophet,  then  surely  every   Israelite  was 
wcirtliv  of  the  higli-pricstly   office.  ^fThus  sin  reared  its 
head  in  the  camp,  under  the  mask  of  an   advocate  de- 
fending a  people  defrauded  of  its  rightjO    The  Israelites,-— 
i(uj)^ius  they  \very/ marked  the  wonfs  of  their  leade^ 
and  though  th(^  failed    (<•   grstsp  their   meaning,   they 
hurled  at  Moses  atl^l  Aaron  the  reproach,  "  It  is  you  who 
have  causcil  tiie  peo]ile  oC  the  Lord  lo  die  I' 

In  using  the  piira>e,  "  people  of  the  l/onl,"  Moses 
did  not  mean  to  imply  (hat  every  Isra<'lite,  from  the 
fact  of  his  Isiaelitish  biitli,was  a  better,  a  more  gifhnl 
man  than  others  ;  that  he  was,  on  I  li:il  aeioiinl,  lilted  lur 
highest  honors.  Moses  :id<ls  llie  >tipulati«m,  "That 
the  L<ird  would  i)iit  his  spirit  upon  llieiii."  (lod,  how- 
ever, does  not  lay   Ids  sjjirit  upon  one  unworthy  of  it, 


306  SABBATH   HOURS. 

'  '  '  even  though  he  be  of  Israelitish  births  Upon  Eldad  * 
and  Medad,  who  worked  earnestly  in  the  camp  as 
teachers  and  preachers,  without  any  thought  of  reward 
in  gold  or  land  or  hontjjc)  upon  them  rested  the  spirit  of 
the  Lord.  Their  ability  to  teach,  their  willingness  to 
teach,  and  the  modedy  wdiich  led  them  to  choose  to  work 
for  the  common  welfare  without  honorary  titles  mmj 
badges  of  offi(J,  such  must  be  the  characteristics  of  the 
men  that  can  form  a  veritable  "  people  of  the  Lord  !" 
Not  so  Korach.  To  work  quietly  and  unostenta- 
tiously for  the  common  good  was  not  to  his  mind.^ 
fi  t  Strange  to  relate,  in  Israel's  entire  camp,  there  were  but 
two  men  who,  as  "  people  of  the  Lord,"  offered  them- 
selves as  teachers  in  the  camp,  while  more  than  two 
hundred  and  tifty,  as  "  people  of  the  Lord,"  offered 
themselves  as  candidates  for  the  office  of  high-priest ! 

#■  '  '  AVould  it  ever  have  occurred  to  a  common  Egyptian 
to  stir  up  a  revolt  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  a  pricvstly 
office  ?  Our  knowledge  of  the  history  of  Egypt  is  con- 
stantly having  fresh  light  cjist  upon  it,  but  as  yet  we 
have  had  no  account  of  a  rebellion  against  the  priestly 
order,  or  of  any  uprising  of  the  lower  against  the  upper 

#  «  #  castes. )  In  Egypt,  the  idea  of  a  holy  nation,  of  an 
entire  people  forming  a  kingdom  of  priests,  was  utterly 
unknown.  On  the  contrary,  the  people,  in  general,  were 
filled  with  the  consciousness  of  their  ungodliness,  and  of 
their  un worthiness  to  approach  their  gods  as  priests. 

]Moses  corrected  this  error.  He  maintained  that  the 
whole  of  the  Israelitish  nation  is  holy  with  reference  to 
rights  and  privileges  ;/  but  he  asserted  as  W'ell  that  not 
every  Israelite  is  therefore  a  saint.  "  The  Lord  will  make 
known  who  is  his,  and  W'ho  is  holy,  that  he  may  cause 


PEOPLE   OF   THE   LORD.  307 

them  to  come  near  uuto  bini ;  and  liini  whom  he  shall 
choose  will  he  cause  to  come  near  unto  him."  f  Accident  ♦ 
of  birth  cannot  sanctity  an  Israelite.  >  A  holy  life  alone 
can  bring  a  man  near  to  God,  and  only  the  "  chosen  " 
one,^ot  he  that  thrusts  himself  forward,  may  approach 
the  Lord. 

How  frequently  in  life  do  we  see  teachers  and  prcacli- 
ers,  statesmen  and  philosojjhers  misunderstood,,  their 
words  and  speeches  misinterpreted !  The  unfortunate 
division  of  the  Israelites  into  Pharisees  and  Sadducecs, 
for  instance,  is  said  to  have  owed  its  origin  to  the  mis- 
understanding of  a  doctrine  concerning  retribution.^ 
Who  can  measure  the  rivers  of  blood,  whose  source  may 
be  traced  to  the  misuse  or  the  misconception  of  the 
terms,  liberty,  religion,  enlightenment,  and  the  like?  Is 
it  not  to  the  misinterpretation  of  certain  passages  in  the 
Holy  Scriptures  that  the  origin  of  the  Christian  religion 
has  I)een  traced — of  that  mighty  religion,  whose  adlier- 
ents  are  scattered* far  and  wide;  whose  influence  luus 
changed  the  very  current  of  life  in  hut  and  palace,  in 
village  and  town  ;  whose  numerous  sects  control  com- 
pletely great  sections  of  our  glolie?  ri^here  are,  in  our 
nineteenth  century,  millions  of  nicii  that  adhere  to 
j)olitical  parties,  knowing  naught  Itut  the  watchword, 
ancj  swearing  l)y  it,  though  they  comprcliend  the  under- 
lying principh"  lus  little  as  Korach's  followers  kiunv  the 
meaning  of"  their  cry,  "  [)eopl(^  of  the  Ijord."  I'hennm- 
cna,  similar  in  character  t<»  the.sc  of  world-wide  import^i^ 
may  be  observed,  on  a  smaller  scale,  in  our  daily  livcs^ 
How  iiiiicli  trouble  and  strife  might  be  avoided  in  the 
home,  ill  business,  in  social  and  e«)ngregational  affairs, 
were  but  this  wise    saying    constantly  Ixtrne  in    mind: 


308  SABBATH   HOURS. 

"Ye  sages,  be  careful  in  your  speech,  that  ye  be  not 
misunderstood,  nor  your  meaning  misconceived."  Words 
are  like  fire:  useful  if  carefully  guarded,  but  dangerous 
when,  employed,  as  children  use  fire,  without  thought  or 
caution,  A  single  word  of  doubtful  meaning  in  com- 
pacts between  nations  and  kingdoms  not  infre(|uently 
has  been  the  cause  of  long  years  of  bloody  warfare,  and, 
in  private  affairs,  of  weary  law  suits  and  great  losses. 

The  wise  lesson  which  we  may  clearly  read  in  our  text 
ought  to  impress  two  things  on  our  minds :  it  is  well  to 
accustom  one's  self  to  a  mode  of  speech  that  cannot  be 
misunderstood.  Again,  the  words  of  others  must  not  be 
weighed  upon  too  exact  a  scale,  nor  should  the  worst 
possible  construction  be  put  on  them.  It  may  be  that 
your  brother  expressed  himself  infelicitously ;  but  as 
well  may  it  be  that  you  have  been  infelicitous  in  your 
interpretation. 


QUALITY   AND   QUANTITY. 

"And  Balaam  said  unto  Balak,  Build  me  here  seven  altars,  and  prepare 
me  here  seven  bullocks  and  seven  rams."— Nimbeks  XXIII  :  l. 

Upon  this  xeme  our  sages  foiiunent  thus :  "  Why 
seven  altai>>  ?  Because  up  to  that  time  seveu  pious  men 
had  erected  altai-s,  pleasiuir  in  the  sight  of  God,  namely, 
Adam,  Al)el,  Noali,  Ahiahani,  Lsaac,  Jacol)  and  Closes. 
'  Their  sacrifices  were  certainly  ])leasiug  in  thy  eyes  ;  hut 
is  it  not  more  fitting  for  thee  to  receive  offerings  from 
seventy  nations  than  from  seven  individuals?'  Balak 
asks  of  Deity.  lie  was  answered,  we  are  told,  by  a  say- 
Tng  of  8oloinoifs,  Oietter  is  a  piece  of  dry  hread  and ' 
quiet  therewith,  than  a  h(ju.se  full  of  the  sacrifices  of 
contention.'  " 

In  the  physical  world,  (|uantity  often  sujiplics  the 
place  of  quality,  hulk  is  suhstitutcd  for  strength.  Two 
weak  men  may  succeed  in  vantjuishing  one  strong  op[)o- 
ncnt,  a  thick  Imanl  may  hear  more  than  a  tliin  Kar  of 
iron. 

The  exjxricncc  that  quantity  may  conqx-iisiitc  for 
lack  of  quality  leads  to  tin-  application  of  this  principle 
in  the  intellectual  and  moral  world.  The  liungling 
artist  seeks  to  hide  his  lack  of  skill  hy  laying  on  his 
colors  in  thick  patches ;  the  poor  nuisician  covers  the 
bareness  of  his  conqiosition  with  llic  noise  of  insirn 
nieuts  ;  the  liar  .seeks  to  give  strength  to  his  statement,"*, 

309 


310  SABBATH   HOURS. 

of  whose  incredibility  he  is  well  aware,  by  repeated  pro- 
testations of  his  veracity.  The  hypocrite  employs  count- 
less words  and  kisses,  pressures  of  the  hand,  and  all 
other  possible  outward  signs  of  good-will  as  proofs  of  his 
friendship  and  good  faith,  which  in  reality,  are  almost 
minus  quantities!'"*«'So,  too,  in  religion,  it  is  believed  that/^ 
lack  of  quality  may  be  made  good  by  added  quantity.  ♦ 
For  instance,  the  followers  of  a  belief  or  the  members 
of  a  sect  are  counted,  and  the  great  number  of  believers 
is  looked  upon  as  the  religion's  chief  glory.  "^^  God  is^' 
supposed  to  be  honored  by  a  great  number  of  meaning- 
less religious  practices.  The  strength  of  a  religion  is 
judged  by  the  outward  glory  and  magnificence  of  the 
temple,  the  service  and  the  machinery  of  divine  worship. 
,It  is  the  chief  pride  of  the  v^  majority  in  religious 
communities  to  see  their  spacious  temples  well  filled.^ 
The  truth  and  excellence  of  one's  belief  are  attested  by 
the  crowd  of  its  professors,  by  the  power  and  wealth  of 
those  that  bow  beneath  its  yoke,  by  the  worldly  pros- 
perity enjoyed  by  believers,  and  denied  to  unbelievers, 
or  at  best  grudgingly  bestowed  upon  them. 

Were  we  to  allow  such  witnesses  to  the  truth  as  num- 
bers, power  and  social  success  to  have  weight  with  us  in 
judging  religious  truths,  then  we  Israelites  would  hold, 
but  a  poor  opinion  of  our  faith.  We  are  not  numer- 
ous nor  powerful,  neither  does  Jucmism  pave  the  way 
to  social  success  for  its  followers/^  But  truth  does  not- 
always  dwell  with  the  majority .^^How  frequently  have 
the-  champions,  the  teachers  of  truth  yielded  up  their 
tortured  souls  on  the  funeral  pyre,  while  tens  of  thou- 
sands of  the  people  in  their  wild  delusion  looked  upon 
the  horrijjle  scene  as  a  sacrificial  service  pleasing  in  the 


QUALITY   AND   QUANTITY.  311 

sight  of  God.  So,  too,  thought  Balak,  iu  the  song  of 
Balaam.  "Why,"  says  he,  "wilt  thou  find  pleasure 
only  in  the  altars  of  this  little  nation  ?  Why  wilt  thou 
v»/  recognize  the  noniage  of  only  seven  men  in  the  long 
period  of  time  between  Adam  and  ]\Ioses?  Behold  seventy 
nations  are  at  thy  service.  Comply  with  their  wishes. 
Be  God  as  they  conceive  him,  the  God  of  the  majority  !"    >' 

'Let  it,  then,  be  a  matter  of  indifference  to  us  how 
many  millions  we  count  among  our  followers.  Our  con- 
fidence in  the  truth  of  our  belief  is  not  shaken,  because 
some  statisticians  estimate  the  number  of  Israelites  at 
only  five  millions,  nor  are  we  stronuthcncd  in  our  faith, 
when  others,  exaggerating,  a.ssumc  eleven  millions  to 
be  the  correct  uumljcr.  We,  likewise,  refuse  to  swell  / 
our  ranks  with  proselytes.^  Yes,  even  though  thousands 
fall  away,  and  are  lost  to  us  through  seduction  or  fri- 
volity, not  the  least  harm  is  therel)y  done  in  our  eyes  to 
the  truth  that  we  profess.^^'  The  righteous  is  an  ever- 
la.sting  foundation."  Were  a  supporter  of  the  truth  to 
stand  alone  in  his  belief,  he  would  be  the  jjiliar,  the  up- 
holder of  his  world. 

_  The  split  in  Israel,  in  religious  matters,  is  so  open  that 
it  cannot  be  ignored  by  silence  on  the  subject.  V^sraelitcs 
of  the  old  way  of  thinking  are  still  in  :in  ovcrwliclining 
majority^  That,  however,  does  not  prove  tliat  they  are 
in  the  right,  nor  can  this  fact  alone  make  their  future 
wcure.^  (Quantity  eannot  comj)ensatc  lor  lack  of  (pialily. 
On  iU^-t*tL«i*  baud,  the  defecti»»n  of^)  Jiiany  highly  eid- 
tured  men,  of  men  of  wealth  from  msttHnJorcy,  proves 
nothing  against  its  teneti^,  for,"^  Better  is  a  j)ieee  of  dry 
bread,  and  (juiet  therewith,  than  a  house  iiill  u\'  the 
sacrifices  of  contention." 


312  SABBATH   HOURS. 

ft.Youug  Israel,  the  Israel  of  reform,  is  still  in  the 
minority.  It  cannot  be  reproached  with  this  paucity  of 
numbers,  as  aweaknes^for  the  question  is  one  of  quality 
not  quantity.  It  is  striving  earnestly  to  increase  its 
forces,  but  even  should  it  succeed,  should  tens  of  thou- 
sands join  its  ranks,  it  would  be  i»triaBie«Ily  no  better.  ^ 
In  oixler  to  prove  true  suj^eriority,  young  Israel  must 
showritS~iid¥a4ilage  over  the  old  in  benevolence,  in  a 
stern  sense  of  justice,  in  cultivation  of  heart  and  miud, 
in  moderation,  in  modesty,  in  peace  and  chastity  of 
family  life,  in  the  domestic  virtues  in  general. 
AW  hen  a  Balak  of  the  future  ascends  the  seat  of  judg- 
iTOnt  to  pass  sentence  on  the  jjai'ty  contests  in  Israel, 
and  cries  out  in  his  animosity,  "  Behold,  how  this  people 
is  divided  against  itself.  Here  thou  seest  a  portion,  and 
there  a  portion.  Surely,  then,  thou  mayest  curse  them 
and  denounce  them  " — let  us  hope  that  this  will  be  the 
answer:  "I  see  neither  wrong  on  the  one  side,  nor  per- 
verseness  on  the  other.X  The  Lord  his  God  is  with  each 
of  them!''^  Balak  said, \'  Behold,  I  have  built  seven 
altars,  iiml  offered  seven  bullocks  and  seven  rams  therc;^ 
upon,  and,"  as  our  sages  continue  iiis  speech  for  him, 
'N^Aliraham  brought  only  one  small  ram  as  an  offering. 
I,-hmvcv^v4H>;ve-4>Tnrrght-«evon  rams,  aHd-eVen  .sg^ea 
4)uU<Kiks  besides."  This  is  the  climax  of  heathen  piety. 
Every  grove  had  its  own  altar,  every  height  its  idol. 
Festivals,  a.ssemblies  of  the  people,  innumerable  religious 
practices,  meaningless  and  irrational,  filled  up  the  meas- 
ure of  a  heathen's  days ;  countless  sacrifices,  culminating 
in  the  sacrifice  of  the  best-beloved  children,  constantly 
bled  on  the  altar.  Moses,  in  forbidding  private  sacri- 
fices, destroyed  thousands  of  altars  at  a  blow.     Only  one 


QUALITY   AND   QUANTITY.  313 

altar  was  allowed  by  the  Law — the    altar  in  the  one 
Temple  in  the  land. 

^■\He  that  keeps  within  due  bounds  in  his  religious  life, 
he  that  lays  more  stress  uj)on  quality  than  upon  quantity, 
he  is  pious  after  the  manner  of  Abel,  of  Noali,  of-tU^ 
^j)atriarchs,  of  Closes,  who,  in  the  outward  expression  of 
their  adoration  of  God,  limited  themselves  to  building 
one  altar,  to  sacrificing  one  lamb.  ^Vhoever,  on  the  con- 
trary, holds  that  piety  demands  many  religious  observ- 
ances— he  is  a  follower  of  Balak,  who  built  seven  altai"s, 
and  let  seven  bullocks  and  seven  rams  smoke  upon  thenu 
In  the  Bil»lical  section,  ii'oiH  •w!nc1rtHu:-4extrTK~t«k-ett7 
\\e  read  that  at  the  sacriiice,  the  king  "  was  standing  by 
his  burnt-oHering,  he,  and  all  tiie  princes  of  Moab." 

-  -The  heathen  idea  that  eye  and  ear  nuist  be  attracted  by 
the  pomp  and  show  of  the  public  service  J  has  "T)een 
banished  neither  from  the  church  nor  from  the  syna- 
gogueT^  Excessive  importance  is  still  j)laced  upon  aj)- 
pearances,  upon  costly  show,  upon  the  jjrcsence  of  indi- 
viduals prominent  in  the  coniiiiiinity  liy  virtiu;  of  wealth 
or  position.  lAltraham  sacrificed  a  rain  without  peal  oi' 
organ  anrj  clihiit  of  choir;  he  stood  alone  with  liis  son 
and  his  (loil.  Mount  Moiiah  \va>!  made  sacred  for  all 
liiiic  by  liis  sacriliic;  even  to-day  il  is  a.scended  with 
emotions  of  rcvcniicc,  while  the  A\r  of  IJalak's  ponqxais 
sacrificial  scrvi'-c,  is  ibrgotten  ;  neither  does  anyone  care 


to  seek  it.  j 
i']vcrv  feat 


,'cry  fT^luri'  that  contriltiilc-  to  the  dignity  of  the 
services  and  to  its  attractivenciss  for  the  visitor  is  of 
value  in  our  cyvii,  but  it  would  hr  highly  un-^{*^vv4«4t  to 
overestimate  the  imj>ortance  of  these  outward  things, 
and  to  look  upon  them  as  essential,  and  err  to  so  great  an 


I 


■JKM' 


314 


SABBATH   HOURS. 


OY) 


extent  that  we  should  not  consider  a  service  worthy  of 
the  name,  one  that  we  could  really  attend  with  propriety, 
unless  the  rich  dresses  of  the  ladies  rustle  funless  organ 
and  choir  pour  out  a  flood  of  music)  unless  a  preacher 
appeals  in  grandiloquent  language  to  the  congregation 
from  the  pulpit.        ^'^'.  "■.       -C^K^       Oer^"^  <^''^^<-^'*' A 

"  Better  a  piece  of  dry  bread,  and  quiet  therewith," 
better  a  house  of  God  filled  with  devotion,  which  is  after 
all  the  satisfying  bread  of  the  piotts  heart,  "  than  a  house 
full  of  the  sacrifices  of  contention,"  i.  e.,  a  house  of  wor- 
ship, beautifully  finished  and  decorated,  but  wanting  in 
the  true  devotion  that  brings  peace  to  the  hearty 


u 


THE  TESTDIONY  OF  OUR  LAW  AMONG 

THE  NATIONS. 

"See,  1  have  tauglit  you  statutes  and  ordinances  jubtasthe  Lord  my 
fJod  commanded  me;  that  ye  may  do  go  in  the  midst  of  the  hin«l 
whither  you  go  to  lake  possession  of  it. 

"Keep  therefore  and  do  them  ;  for  this  is  your  wisdom  and  your  under- 
standing before  the  eyes  of  the  nations,  that  sliall  hear  all  these 
statutes,  and  they  shall  say,  Nolhinj,'  hut  a  wise  and  understanding 
people  is  this  great  nation. 

"For  what  great  nation  is  there  that  hath  gods  so  nigh  unto  it,  as  is  the 
Lord  our  God  at  all  times  tliat  we  call  upon  him? 

"And  what  great  nation  is  there  that  hath  statutes  and  ordinances  so 
righteous  as  is  all  this  law,  which  I  lay  before  you  this  day? 

"Only  take  heed  to  thyself,  and  gmird  thy  soul  diligently,  that  thou  do 
not  forget  the  things  which  thy  eyes  have  seen,  and  tlial  they  depart 
not  from  thy  heart  all  the  days  of  thy  life  ;  but  thou  shalt  make  them 
known  unto  thy  sons  and  unto  thy  sons'  sons."— Delt.  IV  :  r)-9. 

No  age  or  cliiiic  Iuls  failed  (o  iinuliice  iiidividtinls  of 
pre-eminent  wi.-^doni  and  jii.«ticc,  witliin  llic  ranks  of  Jii- 
dai.'^ni  a.s  well  as  Ix-yond  its  iiale.  lint  in  tliis  uuH-niu^ 
text,  Mo.scs  exhorts  tin;  Israelites,  sayin;;,^ It  is  not  snfti- 
eient  for  Israel  ^oprodnee  indivi<lnals  ol' ripened  jndg- 
nieiit  mill  iiltiiity.  Isnul  imi.-t  ~l:u\v  the  world  liow  an 
entire  ]»eo|)l<'  may  lie  elevated  alios  <■  thr  level  ol'  the 
Hnrronndin;;  nations,  tlirongli  the  inlliienci-  of  tlie  divine 
Law,  wliieli  I  pive  niito  it.'\j,'lie  aitioiis  of  tlie  child  of 
worthy  parents  or  oi'  the  puj)il  ol"  u  school  of  g((od  re- 
pnte  are  olwrved  more  elo.M-ly,  and  his  fanlt.s  of  oniiK^ion 
and  eon)ini.'<sion  are  censured  more  severely  than  the 
(leficieneieH  of  him    whose  training  luw  Im.h    neglected, 

316 


316  SABBATH   HOURS. 

both  at  home  and  at  school.  AVc  proudly  extol  the 
)ii('rits  of  the  Law  of  Moses,  vauuting  its  antiquity,  its 
existence  as  a  light  in  Israel,  at  a  time  when  all  the  peo- 
ples round  about  were  sunk  in  the  darkness  of  heathen- 
ism. Since,  then,  we  acknowledge  that  we  have  had  so 
greatly  the  advantage  of  other  nations  in  enlightenment 
and  truth,  it  will  naturally  be  inferred  that  we  ought 
equally  to  excel  other  and  less  favored  classes  of  man- 
kind  iu  piety  and  nobility.  If  we,  scattered  members  of 
Israel,  were  content  to  rank  merely  among  the  average 
members  of  the  communities  in  the  midst  of  which  we 
reside,  severe  censure  would  be  our  rightful  portion, 
Abraham  was  our  father ;  Moses,  our  teacher ;  the  Torah, 
our  text-book  in  religion  "the  prophets,  our  guides;  from 
our  midst,  the  Psalms  rang  out  into  the  world.     Surely,  ; 

tiien,  we  ought  to  raise  ourselves  above  the  level  of  me-  T^^' 
diocrity.  ^We  have  no  right  to  complain  then,  if  an 
Israelite  is  more  severely  condemned  for  violations  of  the 
trutli,  or  of  rightand  morality  in  general,  than  the  many 
sinners  of  other  religious  beliefs. ,  Neither  must  we  con- 
sider ourselves  victims  of  injustice,  if  the  errors  of  in- 
dividuals among  us  are  laid  to  the  account  of  the  entire 
community ,^^o  we-not  ourselves  say,  "Every  Israelite 
is  responsible  for  his  brother  ?"  JL^^.^V'^*^^^^ 

—  Not  the  Law  of  Israel,  but  the  life  of  Israel  in  accord- 
ance with  the  Law  can  win  honor  and  respect  for  us 
among  the  nations.j^Then,  too,  the  talent  or  the  genius 
of  one  of  our  fellow-believers  should  not  be  expected  to 
elicit   from   the   surrounding  nations   the  exclamation, 

-*'  Nothing  but  a  wise  and  understanding  people  is  this 
great  nation !" 

.^  The  honor  which  Israel  shall  enjoy  among  the  nations, 


THE   TESTIMONY    OF   OUR    LAW.  317 

»—  according  to  Mopes'  prophecy,  ami  which  he  exhorts  the 
people  to  strive  to  deserve,  is  not  in  the  least  affected  by 
our  relative  position  to  the  followers  of  other  beliefs  in 
commerce,  in  art  or  in  sciences  Enlightenment  and 
nobility  of  soul,  piety  and  morality,  manifested  by  the 
mass  of  the  people — these  alone  are  the  conditions  under 
which  Israel  will  win  the  respect  of  the  nations  of  the 

earth/^Let  the  wisdom  and  piety  of  Israel,  which  Moses 

promised  should  be  rewarded  w  ith  the  regard  of  mankind, 
be  practically  applied,  in  the  conduct  of  Israel  in  tlic 
ordinary  relations  of  men — in  the  intercourse  of  hus- 
bands and  wives,  of  parents  and  chiMren  ;  in  a  moderate 
enjoyment  of  the  goud  things  of  life;  in  the  erection  of 
henevolent  institutions;  in  humanity  ;(Tn  unswerving 
fidelity  to  religious  convictions."^ 
(  But  is  not  this  ])romise  of  reward,  as  a  .'-i»iir  to  the  ful- 
filment of  duty,  in  opposition  td  tlic  retpiirements  of 
strict  morality?  Is  it  right  for  the  Bible,  that  divine 
volume,  to  find  room  in  its  pages  fur  the  dcmaiul  that 
man  allow  human  approbation  to  influence  his  conduct? 
Would  it  not  have  been  better  to  say,  "  Do  what  is  right, 
regardless  of  the  opinion  (»f  the  peoples  round  almnt  yoii'r) 
rrThere  is,  however,  no  nation  on  earth  that  flovs  not  pride 
itself  on  the  possession  of  some  real  or  fancied  pre- 
eminence, and  it  is  by  tiie  thought  of  these  excellencies 
that  the  bond  of  nationality  is  {^rengtln-ncd,  and  |»opular 

- — 'prifle  in  nationality  stimulated. V^Moses  wished  to  inspire 
such  prifle  in    his  people.    Could    he,  then,   have  set   a 

- — -  loftier  aim  to  their  and»ition  than  the  lio])c  of  wroling 
from  the  lips  of  the  nations  tlic  praise,  "This  nation  has 
the  most  rational  conception  of  <;od.  its  laws  are 
laws    of  jnstice    and    tnen-y.      The    jx'ople   serve   their 


318  SABBATH   HOURS. 

God,  aud  live  a  life  of  righteousness,  manifesting  justice, 
truth  aud  love  in  their  relations  to  each  other  and  to 
Grangers!"      A  L   L  fi'iAA/V^Vn/'^^vAr     | 

Let  us  not  bom  of  our^  v,  ritten  Law,  looking  upon  it 
as  a  crown  for  our  heads,  if  the  Law  resides  not  within 
our  heads  as  well ;  nor  is  it  proper  for  us  to  array  our- 
selves in  the  cloak  of  humanity  and  justice,  of  truth 
and  the  knowledge  of  God,  as  taught  by  our  religion, 
if  the  being,  enveloped  in  the  cloak,  is  a  stranger  to 
these  virtues.  "^The  Law  is  not  meant  as  an  honor  to  xis ; 
tve  must  rather  honor  it  in  our  daily  lives  by  living  in 
accordance  with  it ;  that  is  to  say,  we  must  "  sanctify  the 
name  of  the  Lord." 

There  remains  for  our  consideration  only  that  part  of 
our  text  which  reads,  V  For  what  great  nation  is  there 
that  hath  gods  so  nigh  unto  it  as  is  the  Lord,  our  God, 
at  all  times  that  ive  call  upon  him  f 
-^-This  verse  emphasizes,  in  the  first  place,  the  o»w*i- 
presence  of  God  in  contradistinction  to  the  heathen 
deities  who  were  local  in  jurisdiction.  "Our  God," 
says  Moses,  "  is  everywhere  the  same,  upon  the  land  and 
on  the  sea,  upon  mountain-tops  as  in  the  valleys,  on 
earth  and  in  heaven.  He  hears  us,  and  is  nigh  unto  us 
whenever  we  call  upon  him.  He  is  near  to  us  also  in 
the  sense  that  we  have  no  mediator  between  God  and 
ourselves."  (^Another  lesson  is  here  taught  us  as  well. 
God  is  nigh  unto  us  only  if  we  call  upon  him^  If  we 
wish  to  keep  alive  within  us  the  consciousness  of  the 
existence  of  God,^e  must  turn  to  him  from  time  to 
timei  thus  reminding  ourselves  that  a  God  reigns  over 
us,  a  God  of  mercy  and  justice.f^The  blessed  result  of 
prayer  is  not  always  a  direct  response  to  our  petitions ; 


/ 


THE  TESTIMONY   OF  OUR   LATT.  319 


but  few  prayers  are  answered  iu  the  sense  that  we  have 
changed  the  will  of  God  according  to  our  own  will. 
Surely,  it  is  best  that  God's  will  and  not  ours  is  doiie^)  ^  . 
Prayer  is,  however,  never  without  its  reward,  for  througn  rr 
it,  we  refresh  in  oui-selves  the  feeling  that  God  is  near  to 
his  creatures.  ^A  voice  within  us  seems  to  say,  "Son  of 
man,  there  is  a  God,  the  director  of  the  fates  of  n)en, 
~  who  is  ever  nigh  unto  you.  urust  in  his  wisdom,  fear 
his  justice  and  his  tribunal !  ^Let  the  thought  of  his 
holiness  fill  you  with  a  solemn  dread  !"  This  is  the 
echo,  the  answer,  in  a  pious  heart,  of  the  eai'uest  prayer 
ascending  from  its  depths. 

If  God  is  not  to  bo  forgotten  in  Israel,  we  must  direct 
our  attention  more  earnestly  to  our  Law ;  we  must  be 
more  zealous  in  our  attendance  at  jiublic  worship  ;  there 
to  join  the  asseml)led  congregation  in  i)raising  God,  and 
in  listening  to  the  exposition  of  divine  truths,  so  that 
God  may,  indeed,  be  near  unto  u»-iu  heart  and  sjnrit. 


1 


NEITHER    ADD   THERETO,   NOR   DIMINISH 
THEREFROM. 

"  What  thiug  soever  I  command  you,  even  that  shall  ye  observe  to  do : 
thou  Shalt  not  add  thereto,  and  thou  shalt  not  diminish  therefrom." 
— Deut.  XIII  :  1. 

This  prohibition  is  contradictory  to  the  development 
of  religious  law  and  life  among  us  ;  truly,  there  has  been 
much  "  added  thereto "  as  well  as  "  diminished  there- 
from." 

Nor  could  it  be  otherwise.  The  Law  was  not  made 
for  angels.  Man  is  ever  subject  to  the  vicissitudes  of 
time,  place  and  circumstances,  and  these  influences  are 
responsible  for  the  continual  flux  and  flow  in  his  spiritual 
life. 

This,  however,  is  the  meaning  of  our  text :  "  Leave 
the  Law  of  Moses  as  it  is.  Add  nothing  to  it,  claiming 
for  your  interj)olation  a  divine  origin,  and  thereby  giv- 
ing added  value  to  the  Law  and  more  authority  to 
your  views  and  ordinances.  Neither  take  anything  from 
it,  nor  force  any  meaning  out  of  it,  if  there  happens  to 
be  something  in  my  Law  displeasing  to  you,  or  inconve- 
nient, because  out  of  season.  Your  lawful  religious  au- 
thorities may  regulate  your  life  according  to  the  demands 
of  time  and  place,  as  the  Holy  Scriptures  say,  '  Thou 
shalt  not  depart  from  the  sentence  which  they  may  tell 
thee ;'  but  these  deci*ees  must  be  promulgated  on  their 
own  responsibility." 

320 


NEITHER   ADD   NOB   DIMINISH.  321 

The  old  teachers  remained  faithful  to  this  injunction. 
It  was  not  a  matter  of  idle  play,  when  they  ascertained 
tbvi  exact  number  of  lettei-s,  words  and  verses  in  the 
^losaic  Law,  or  estimated  the  number  of  Mosaic  ordi- 
nances, fixing  the  i)ositive  commands  at  three  hundred 
and  sixty-five,  and  the  prohibitions  at  two  hundred  and 
forty-eight.  However  religious  law  and  life  might  be 
modified  and  altered  by  additions  and  eliminations  of 
the  rabbis  and  by  popular  custom,  the  Law  of  JNIoses, 
as  such,  the  basis  for  all  these  changes,  wjis  never  to 
be  affected.  A  sharp,  dividing  line  was  carefully  main- 
tained between  divine  and  human  additions — between 
"Mosaic"  and  " raljbinical."  Hillel  established  seven 
rules,  and  Rabbi  Ishmael  increased  their  number  to 
tiiirteen,  iia  guides  in  the  interpretation  of  the  Law  of 
Moses.  The  results  of  these  interpretations — tiie  true 
explanati(jns  im  well  as  the  distorted  complications — 
were  always  looked  upon  as  rabbinical.  The  six  hun- 
dred and  thirteen  Mosaic  commands  and  prohibitions 
were  neither  incrcasr'd  nor  diiiiinished  in  number  by  the 
labor  of  scliolars.  Tiie  Tabiuid — the  repository  ol'  the 
mental  activity  of  the  rabbis — never  became  a  New 
Testament.  It  serverl,  ami  to  some  extent  still  serves, 
as  a  religious  guiile,  but  it  was  never  regarded  as  otiier 
than  a  human,  a  ralibinical  product. 

We,  in  our  days,  ought  to  be  especially  niindl'iil  of 
the  words  ol"  f)ur  text,  neither  "to  add  thereto  nor  to 
diininisli  therefrom,"  to  honor  the  book  in  the  f<)rm  in 
wliich  it  has  been  handed  down  to  us.  In  forcing  il.s 
way  out  of  the  narrow  bed  of  the  Holy  Scriptures,  life 
has  torn  away  nnicli  of  their  banks;  it  hi\H  s])read  itself 
over  many  fields,  now  a  swjurce  of  ble,«sing,  and  again 

22 


322  SABBATH   HOURS. 

leaving  destruction  and  devastation  in  its  path.  Let  us 
take  heed  that  we  may  not  lend  a  hand  in  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  dikes  still  remaining. 

Holy  AVrit  must  patiently  permit  many  of  its  deci- 
sions to  be  disregarded  by  imj^etuous  life.  It  must  allow 
science  to  examine  its  pages  with  a  critical  eye.  But  we 
ought  not  to  put  upon  it  the  indignity  of  so  wresting  its 
sense  as  to  find  sanction  and  approval  in  its  pages  for  the 
very  havoc  wrought  in  it  by  the  force  of  circumstances. 
Israel  has  often  returned  to  the  Law  after  long  intervals 
of  neglect.  As  a  good  mother  keeps  the  modest  rooms 
of  their  early  home  ever  ready  against  the  possible  return 
of  her  haughty  children,  so  the  Holy  Scriptures  are 
always  prepared  for  returning  Israel.  "Whenever  Israel 
does  return,  let  it  find  everything  just  as  it  left  it. 

Neither  should  we  "add  thereto."  We  should  not 
attempt  to  make  the  Holy  Scriptures  more  beautiful 
than  they  are.  Nor  should  we  seek  to  read  into  them 
great  ideas,  great  truths  and  principles  of  humanity, 
Avhich  have  come  to  us  "  with  the  process  of  the  suns," 
and  which  Ave  fail  to  find  in  the  Holy  Book.  We  should 
be  grossly  unjust  towards  the  world,  towards  the  many 
generations  with  their  men  of  great  endowments  of 
mind  and  heart  that  have  come  and  gone,  were  we  to 
a.scril)e  to  our  Holy  Book  every  possible  develoi^ment  in 
doctrine  and  legislation,  in  enlightenment  and  nobility. 
Many  of  our  most  honored,  our  most  highly  valued 
s})iiitual  possessions,  many  ideas  contributing  greatly  to 
man's  welfare  on  earth  and  in  the  hereafter,  were  pro- 
duced, taught  and  put  into  practice  simultaneously  with 
the  teachings  of  Moses,  as  well  as  after  the  time  of  that 
great  law-giver.     In  comparison  with  the  moral  order 


NEITHER   ADD    NOR   DIMINISH.  323 

of  our  day,  the  Law  of  jMoscs  may  l)e  likened  to  the 
acorn  by  the  side  of  the  mighty  oak,  whose  wide,  many- 
leaved  branches  throw  dense  and  far-reaching  shade  upon 
the  ground.  The  acf)rn  went  through  various  processes, 
became  warmed  in  the  earth,  sprouted  and  devclo})ed, 
and  when  it  had  penetrated  to  the  surface,  and  stepped 
forth  into  the  sunliglit,  it  had  to  pa^s  through  many  sea- 
sons, drinking  in  their  changes  of  light,  heat,  laiii,  air 
and  gases;  it  had  to  be  blown  about  in  all  directions  by 
storm  and  tempest,  and  add  ring  liy  ring  to  it.s  circum- 
ference, ere  it  grow  to  be  the  heaven-aspiring  oak.  In 
like  manner  with  the  Holy  Scriptures  as  the  nucleus,  tlic 
germ,  the  root  of  all  development,  our  system  of  morality 
has  grown  ;  our  views  have  become  clearer,  our  feelings 
have  become  enno])led,  our  ideas  of  justice  have  become 
purer  and  more  elevated,  and  especially  has  science  ad- 
vanced with  giant  strides.  Excessive  jiraise  provokes 
criticism.  lie  that  insists  u])on  finding  all  our  modern 
conceptions  of  nobility  and  virtue  in  the  liiltle,  is  respon- 
sible for  the  consef|uences,  if  the  sharp  critic,  seeking 
such  ideas,  and  failing  in  his  attempt,  pimiounces  harsh 
judgment  upon  the  sacred  dnniiiients. 

Time  and  all  luitions  have  been  working  at  the  struc- 
ture of  religion  for  four  tliousan<l  years.  \N'e  Israelite's 
oeeu[)y  a  position  in  the  very  niiflst  of  this  work  of 
culture,  rpon  us  there  lies  a  twol'oM  obligation  :  to 
co-operate  heart  and  soul  in  the  Htru<"ture  of  a  religion 
for  all  mankind,  ami  not  to  imagine  that  the  Israelite 
whose  conduct  sectms  unexeeptionable  when  judged  li\ 
Tiiblical  or  rabbinical  standards,  appears  perfect  before 
( lod  and  the  world.  Religion  is  never  complete,  nor  is 
man  ever  perfect  in  his  relation  to  hiuLscIt",  to  Go<l  and 


324  SABBATH   HOURS. 

to  his  fellow-mau.  Not  Mount  Sinai  alone  bears  the 
heaven  of  our  laws  and  doctrines  ;  the  Alleghanies  and 
the  Rockies  ought  also  to  be  supporters  of  these  sublime 
ideas.  Not  only  by  the  seventy  elders  in  the  desert  and 
seventy-one  revered  heads  of  the  Sanhedrin,  wliich  sat 
in  Luhkhath  haggazith,  but  also  in  the  legislatures,  in 
Congress,  even  in  every  common  council,  is  the  cause  of 
religion  advanced  or  injured — in  Boston  as  in  Rome,  in 
each  place  according  to  its  character.  Religion  makes 
up  our  whole  life.  We  either  sin  against  it,  or  live  a 
worthy  existence  according  to  its  dictates.  In  reading  a 
book,  we  read  religion  either  as  ennobled  or  degraded, 
as  adulterated  with  frivolity  or  deepened  with  thought. 
He  that  Avrites  a  book  writes  religion  even  though  reli- 
gion be  far  from  his  thoughts  while  he  is  at  work.  Thus 
Humboldt,  Dickens,  Schiller,  Longfellow  involuntarily 
have  added  more  to  the  circle  that  our  century,  too,  is 
making  al)out  the  trunk  of  religion's  tree,  than  many  a 
rabhi  who  devotes  his  whole  life  to  the  conscious  study 
of  religion. 

Religious  communities  should,  therefore,  always  main- 
tain friendly  relations  with  one  another.  All  can  learn 
from  one  another.  All  are  filled  with  the  desire  to 
advance  the  cause  of  religion.  Side  by  side  with  this 
aim,  we  Israelites  have  yet  another  task.  We  must 
guard  strictly  our  ancient  religious  documents,  that 
nothing  be  "  added  thereto  nor  diminished  therefrom." 
Let  him,  who  may  seek  them  in  hundreds  or  thousands 
of  years,  find  them  as  they  were  when  handed  to  us : 
neither  better  nor  worse,  neither  increased  nor  dimin- 
ished in  contents.  Mountains  may  be  moved,  and  hills 
be  levelled  ;  tlie  heavens  may  grow  old  even  as  a  gar- 
ment, but  the  word  of  the  Lord  will  stand  forever ! 


COMPETITION. 

''Thou  sbalt  not  remove  the  Iniuliuiirksof  thy  neighbor,  which  they  of 
old  time  have  set,  in  thy  inhcrituuce  which  thou  shalt  inherit,  in  tlie 
land  that  the  Lord  thy  Godgiveth  thee  to  possess  it."— Dkut.  XIX  f.  U. 

Although  the  removal  of  u  landmark  is  iK'ithur  iiKue 
nor  less  than  theft,  and  though  robbery  and  depredation 
of  all  kinds  are  distinctly  prohibited  by  the  Bible,  this 
kind  of  stealing  receives  especial  mention,  as  peculiarly 
deser\'ing  of  punishment.  In  all  ancient  codes,  the 
removal  of  a  landmark  is  coikIcimikmI  in  tlic  severest 
terms.  The  art  of  surveying  was  not  known  in  those 
day.s,  nor  had  tlit;  ancients  registers  in  which  huxlcd  posses- 
sions were  reconlerl  according  to  their  size  and  boundary. 
The  landmark  wiu*,  tiierel'orc,  the;  only  absolute  proof  of 
the  possession  of  real  estate.  In  view  of  tin;  great  import- 
ance of  fixed  boundaries,  the  Romans  had  a  special  (ule- 
lary  diety  for  tliciii — Terminus;  in  <»ur  text,  also,  (Jod  is 
mentione<l  pailicuhirly  in  connection  with  the  prohiliilion 
against  removing  a  neighbor's  landmark — "in  tht;  land 
which  the  I^ord  tliy  dinl  givetli  ihee  lo  possess  it," 

In  the  eours(!  of  time,  llii-;  (•.inniiiiniinniii  ln-i  i(s 
siirnificance  ;  even  aftir  llie  removal  of  a  iaiidniark  we 
can  find  the;  correct  lioundary.  lint  it  is  only  in  il.s 
application  to  fields  and  meadows  that  this  law  has  lost 
its  im|)ortance;  respect  for  the  boundary  marking  oil' our 
right  from  that  of  our  neighbors  siill  forms  a  great  chaj>ter 
in  the  book  of  morality. 

326 


326  SABBATH   HOURS. 

Upon  careful  examination,  respect  for  existing  boun- 
daries will  be  found  to  constitute  a  great  part  of  our 
idea  of  morality.      In  the  home,  boundary  lines  are 
rigidly   drawn    between    husband    and    wife,   between 
parents  and  children ;  in  business  houses,  between  buyer 
and    seller,    between    lender    and    borrower,    between 
laborer  and  employer,  and  between  civil  functionary 
and   citizen.     Each  one   has  his  own   peculiar   rights 
and  privileges,  and  to  the  rights  of  each,  certain  boun- 
daries  are  set.     Of  him  that  steps  beyond   the  limit 
of  his  authority,  it  may  be  said,  "  he  removes  the  land- 
mark of  his  neighbor."     In  our  morning's  discourse,  we 
shall  consider  only  one  phase  of  this  far-reaching  pro- 
hibition— the  interpretation  put  upon  it  ])y  our  sages, 
which,  under  the  designation  Snj  J'DO  (unfair  competi- 
tion), was  held  in  high  regard  in  truly  pious  Jewish 
circles.      According  to  this  conception,  an  Israelite  is 
not  allowed  to  cripple  a  fellow-man's  means  of  gaining  a 
livelihood  through  competition.     In  the  Bible,  the  height 
of  popular  felicity  is  thus  described :  "  They  shall  sit 
every  man  under  his  vine  and  under  his  fig  tree  with 
none  to  make  them  afraid."     This  indicates  peace  at 
home   and   abroad.     But,  in  our  days,  no  one   could, 
even  under  such  favorable  conditions,  dwell  in  security 
"  under  his  vine  and  his  fig  tree,"  not  even  in  the  most 
powerful  state,  guarded  by  millions  of  soldiers ;  not  even 
under  the  watch  of  the  most  vigilant  police  force.     The 
name  of  the  destroyer  of  a  quiet,  comfortable   exist- 
ence ;  of  the  thief  of  the  spiritual  peace  of  the  merchant ; 
of  the  noiseless  war  between  man  and  man,  is  competi- 
tion, or  as  our  sages  express  it  bi3J  J'DD.     The  official  can- 
not find  unalloyed  pleasure  in  his  office,  nor  the  business 


COMPETITION.  327 

man  iu  his  daily  pursuit,  nor  the  Avorkman  in  his  hire. 
A  man  says  to  himself:  "My  field  is  bearing  fruit. 
After  much  honest  and  arduous  toil,  I  may  at  length 
hope  to  reap  a  rich  harvest."  Suddenly  competition 
stretches  its  hand  beyond  the  boundary  line,  and  his 
hopes  are  dashe<l,  his  harvest  blighted. 

Alas!  this  unlimited  liberty  to  bring  ruin  upon  one's 
fellow-man  is  the  very  pride  and  boast  of  our  time !  It 
is  true,  the  results  of  this  competition  in  increaijing 
means  of  intercourse  and  in  devehjping  industry  can 
scarcely  be  estimated ;  they  have  indeed  attained  a 
dazzling  height.  In  progress,  one  year  at  present  is  equal 
to  one  hundred  of  former  times.  But  how  great  the 
price  that  we  have  paid  for  this  advance !  How  luus  mo- 
rality suflere<l !  If  a  man  feels  uncertain  of  his  future, 
he  hastily  seizes  upon  every  means  in  any  way  justifiable 
before  the  law  in  order  to  reap  the  riciiest  possilile  har- 
vest in  the  field  of  the  present.  And  how  many  true, 
honest,  industrious  men  does  competition  daily  drag  into 
financial  ruin  !  How  many  worthy  families  fall  into 
misery  and  decay,  liow  many  struggle  ibr  existence,  wag- 
ing a  daily  fight  with  the  current  of  competition — a  fight 
that  makes  all  rest,  all  enjoyinciit  nf  lil'r  i'lipossible! 

We  do  not  speak  of  inevitable  coniijctition.  WIkii  (wo 
are  con.strained  to  seek  bread  in  the  same  field,  and  nnist 
snatch  from  ea(;h  other  one-half  the  means  of  subsistence, 
it  is  dire  want  that  oversteps  the  brtundary.  We  speak 
only  <'f  the  thousands  with  whom  competition  is  not  a 
matter  of  necessity,  of  those  that  can  reap  a  rich  har- 
vest within  their  own  limits,  and  nevertheless  cros.H  into 
the  boundaries  of  others,  that  they  nuiy  glean  there  an 
well. 


328  SABBATH   HOURS. 

Even  here,  the  individual  is  scarcely  to  blame.  The 
spirit  of"  the  age  looks  up  to  competition  as  its  good  geuius, 
calling  upon  it  for  aid,  and  burning  incense  before  it  as 
before  a  deity.  What  can  the  individual  do  but  yield 
himself  up  to  the  current  of  the  time,  and  extend  his  ter- 
ritory as  far  as  possible  beyond  his  own  boundaries  ? 
Every  one  must  be  prepared  to  have  his  boundaries 
invaded  on  the  morrow,  even  as  he  oversteps  the  boun- 
daries of  others  to-day — to  have  the  waters  drawn  away 
from  the  source  of  his  existence,  even  as  he  guides  the 
stream  of  another's  livelihood  into  his  own  channel. 
The  warning  of  Moses  is  unheeded  to-day.  "  Thou  shalt 
not  remove  the  landmarks  of  thy  neighbor,"  sounds  like 
folly  in  the  ears  of  the  present  generation.  But  little 
remains  of  the  old  Jewish  respect  for  the  "  landmark  " 
of  one's  neighbor. 

If  the  command  to  love  one's  neighl)or,  in  its  applica- 
tion in  deeds  of  benevolence,  could  heal  the  wounds  of 
society,  the  problem  before  us  would  be  a  comparatively 
ea.sy  one.  The  many  institutions  for  the  relief  of  human 
misery  speak  well  for  the  active  charity  of  our  days. 
Neither  can  we  complain  of  lack  of  justice.  Good  sense 
and  good-will  are  ever  present  to  give  ns  the  best  possible 
laws,  although  the  law,  it  is  true,  has  not  always  the  best 
servants  to  see  that  its  bidding  is  done.  What  we  do 
lack,  however,  is  equity.  Equity  lies  midway  between 
justice  and  benevolence;  it  is  unAvritten  justice  and 
cliarity  towards  all,  rich  and  poor  alike. 

It  is  vain  to  hope  to  disj)el  the  serious  and  dangerous 
questions  of  the  time  that  lie  like  threatening  clouds 
over  all  countries,  by  multiplying  charities,  or  by  means 
of  legislation.     "  Thou  shalt  not  remove  the  landmark 


COMPETITION.  329 

of  thy  neighbor  is  sound  morality,  and  belongs  under 
the  head  of  equity,  not  of  justice  or  h\w.  This  is  the 
great  work  for  future  generations :  to  procure  universal 
acknowledgment  for  the  Mosaic  doctrine  of  respect  for 
the  landmark  of  one's  neighbor;  so  to  limit  the  juris- 
diction of  competition  that  it  may  prove,  not  a  curse, 
but  a  l)lessing  to  society.  The  conscience  of  the  people 
must  ]>e  awakened,  must  lie  made  lus  alive  to  the  force  of 
the  unwritten  law  of  equity  a;?  of  the  written  law  of 
justice.  A  disregard  of  the  demands  of  equity  ought 
to  seem,  to  the  public  sense  of  justice,  as  <lishonoral)le  lus 
a  violation  of  the  written  law  of  the  country ;  it  ought 
to  seem  as  dishonorable  to  remove  an  invisible  land- 
mark, as  to  clinil)  into  a  window  for  tlic  jinrpose  oi"  com- 
mitting a  theft. 

"Ix't  thy  brother  live  with  thee."  As  far  as  it  lies  in 
thy  power,  let  him  enjoy  liis  life  and  lie  sccnrc  in  his 
hapi)iness  "  under  his  vine  and  his  fig  tree."  This  is  not 
the  lan<l  that  thou  hiust  seiy.ed  Ibr  thyself,  bnl  the  land 
that  the  Ijord  hits  given  to  thee. 


CHIVALRY. 

"  Remember  what  Amalek  did  unto  thee,  by  the  way,  at  your  coming 

forth  out  of  Eg>'pt. 
"  How  he  met  thee  by  the  way,  and  smote  the  hindmost  of  thee,  all  that 

were  feeble  behind  thee,  when  thou  was  faint  and  weary  ;  and  he 

feared  not  God."— Deut.  XXV:  17-19. 

I  believe  that  1  can  guess  the  thoughts  of  many  (lur- 
ing the  reading  of  this  text.  The  sound  of  this  cry  of 
revenge  from  barbarous  times,  you  think,  ought  not  to  be 
heard  in  these  days  of  enlightenment  and  humanity. 

And  even  granted  that  we,  peace-loving  Israelites, 
were  eager  to  give  heed  to  this  cry ;  were  eager  once  more 
to  seize  the  sword  of  revenge,  to  wash  out  with  blood  old 
scores  against  this  hereditary  enemy,  where  could  we 
find  Amalek  to-day,  inasmuch  as  the  command  to  extir- 
pate the  Amalekites  was  carried  out  to  the  letter  in  the 
days  of  Hezekiah  ? 

Let  us  consider  the  significance  of  this  command  in 
the  days  of  Moses  and  its  importance  to  us. 

According  to  one  principle  of  division,  the  history  of 
civilization  falls  into  three  great  periods. 

The  first  includes  the  time  in  which  man  led  a  life  of 
complete  lawlessness ;  then  followed  the  period  of  the 
rule  of  unwritten  law,  which,  in  turn,  led  to  the  sway 
of  the  written  code. 

It  would  1)6  impossible  to  determine  the  length  of  the 
first  period — the  time  in  which  men  led  a  life  of  license, 

330 


CHIVALRY.  331 

fighting  and  destroying  one  another  in  the  struggle  for 
existence — the  time  pictured  to  us  in  the  Bible  in  the 
story  of  the  first  brothers.  This  sul)ject  constitutes 
a  boundless  field  for  investigation,  a  field  in  which 
Darwin,  his  predecessors  and  his  follower  have  garnered 
rich  harvests.  So  much,  however,  we  can  state  with 
absolute  certainty :  the  moment  of  man's  fii-st  inii)ulse 
towards  culture  must  have  coincided  with  his  earliest 
suspicion  of  the  existence  of  higher  spiritual  powers, 
powers  of  superhuman  strength,  surrounding  him  in 
invisible  form.  Or  Itriefiy  stated,  civilization  took  its 
rise  in  the  fear  of  gods.  We  say  fear  of  goch — fur  this 
fear  must  have  assailed  the  savage  on  all  sides  to  restrain 
him  on  the  path  of  wild  desire,  to  make  him  voluntarily 
do  or  leave  undone  what  he  would  have  preferred  to 
neglect  or  to  perform.  The  idea  of  one  CJod  does  not 
carry  with  it  sufficient  terrors  for  i)riinitive  nuin  to  curb 
his  wild  nature.  This  vague  fear  of  the  gods,  which 
fills  the  savage  with  sudden  dread,  without  giving  a 
decided  bent  to  his  thoughts  and  actions,  develojjs  into 
the  religion  of  the  second  period  of  human  civili/atiou 
— a  fixed  system  of  doctrines  and  statutes  directing 
thought  and  action  with  liinding  Ibrce. 

Upon  the  field  thus  picketed  l)y  religion,  custom 
flourishes,  devehjping  into  the  law  of  haliit,  whi<h  in 
turn  becomes  the  unwritten  law  of  society. 

Whatever  may  be  said  of  the  worth  or  worthlessncHs 
of  early  n-ligions,  they  iiiu.^t  be,  allowed  one  merit  —  they 
taught  man  obedience  to  l»inding  laws. 

The  law  of  chivalry  was  the  most  important  of  these 
unwritten  laws.  An  exhaustive  definition  of  this  idea, 
a  consideration  of  its  development  in  the  course  of  time. 


332  SABBATH  HOURS. 

especially  during  the  Middle  Ages,  would  fill  a  volume. 
It  suffices  for  our  purpose  to  bring  before  the  mind,  the 
seed  and  kernel  of  the  virtue — honor  in  arms,  the  only 
honor  recognized  l)y  half-civilized  peoples,  the  honor  of 
strong  bones,  of  muscles  of  iron,  and  nerves  of  steel ; 
of  a  hand  unswerving  in  directing  the  club  or  other 
weapon  of  attack  and  defence.  Such  honor  could  be 
gained  only  in  the  contest  of  the  strong  with  the 
strong,  of  the  armed  warrior  with  him  who  was  chal- 
lenged to  fight  and  hence  prepared  for  defence.  In 
a  further  stage  of  development,  not  only  did  it  bring 
no  honor  to  a  man  to  attack  another  from  behind, 
to  fall  upon  the  unarmed  man  with  weapons,  to  over- 
throw the  weak,  but,  on  the  contrary,  it  brought 
him  only  shame  and  disgrace.  In  a  still  higher  stage 
of  development,  it  became  a  matter  of  duty  for  the 
man  of  honoi',  not  only  to  spare  the  weak,  but,  indeed, 
to  grant  them  protection,  to  constitute  himself  the  cham- 
pion of  women,  cliildrcn,  the  aged  and — the  priests. 

As  the  fear  of  the  gods  may  be  considered  the  a-b-c  of 
culture,  the  first  impress  of  the  shovel  on  the  path  of 
civilizati(jn,  so  the  virtue  of  chivalry  may  be  called  the 
first  reading  lesson,  the  first  outpost  of  civilization. 

Amalek  had  taken  none  of  these  first  steps  in  civiliza- 
tion. 

"He  met  you  by  the  way" — you,  wlio  were  travelling 
onward,  not  suspecting  harm,  unjjrepared  for  battle. 

"  He  smote  the  hindermost  oi'  you  ;  the  aged,  the 
women,  the  children,  the  sick,  the  lame,  when  your 
warri(;rs  were  faint  and  weary,"  not  in  a  condition 
to  invite  the  attack  of  men  of  chivalrous  honor  and 
feeling. 


CHIVALRY.  333 

"  He  feared  not  "  the  gods.     The  ver}'  first  impulse, 
the  earliest  germ  of  civilization  was  wanting  in  him. 

A  community  so  uttery  devoid  of  law,  of  honor,  of 
fear  of  God,  l)ore  in  itself  the  seed  of  destruction.  It 
would  surely  have  met  its  fate — extirpation — without  the 
command  of  Moses.  The  ^losaic  decree  merely  shows 
us,  by  means  of  an  illustration,  the  phenomenon  that 
we  have  observed  a.s  the  result  of  a  law  of  nature,  in  the 
history  of  many  other  equally  l)arbarous  hordes.  There 
is  no  decree  in  the  United  States  ordering  the  extermina- 
tion of  the  Indian,  and  yet  the  remnants  of  his  people 
are  melting  away  like  snow  in  the  sunshine  of  spring ; 
for,  in  the  Indian  of  our  day,  there  lives,  also,  no  spark 
of  chivalry.  He  fights  from  ambush,  attacks  peaceful 
travellers,  murders  in  cold  blood  women  and  children,  the 
aged  and  the  sick,  and  puts  his  defenceless  prisonei*s  to 
death  by  horril)le  means,  untroubled  by  any  thoughts  of 
his  gods.  Bo  Moses  summoned  the  children  of  Israel  to 
the  tstsk  performed,  in  their  time,  by  the  Heguhilors  «»f 
the  South,  or  the  Vigilance  Coniinittee  of  Calilbniia,  wlio 
though  criminals  before  the  law,  were  yet  beneCactnrs  ol" 
society.  He  wished  them  to  free  the  nation  iVnm  lliis 
pubbc  scourge,  to  remove  this  stumbliiig  block  from 
the  path  of  civilization. 

Such  W5US  the  significance,  in  the  ancient  Hiblical  <lays, 
of  the  commandment  of  revenge  in  our  text.  But  what 
le.«son  can  it  teach  us?  What  can  we,  in  its  annual  repe- 
tition, gain  from  it? 

The  answer  to  this  (piestion  bringH  us  to  llie  tliinl 
epoch  in  civili/ation — the  period  ..f  written  law. 

Written  law  lias  limited  tlnr  activity  <»f  the  virtue  of 
chivalry,  but  it  ha.'<  not  completely  discarded  it.     Wiltt.  n 


334  SABBATH   HOURS. 

law  is  gross  matter,  unwritten  law  fine  spirit.  He  that 
makes  tlie  written  law  the  sole  guide  of  his  life,  leaving 
undone  only  those  things  that  it  forbids,  and  jjerforming 
none  but  its  injunctions,  may  be  a  good,  tax-paying  citi- 
zen, an  important  man  on  exchange,  a  man  whose  honesty, 
according  to  the  letter  of  the  law,  cannot  be  impugned. 
He  may  live  without  shame,  and  be  buried  with  pomp 
and  glory — nevertheless,  he  is  but  a  poor  creature ;  he 
is  not  of  the  knights  ;  in  spite  of  his  liberty,  he  is  a  slave. 

We  have  defined  chivalry  as  meaning,  honor  in  arms. 
Such  it  was  at  one  time,  and  still  remains  in  those  states, 
in  which  great,  standing  armies  are  necessary  as  a  pro- 
tection against  foes  from  within  and  without.  In  those 
countries,  the  bearer  of  arms  is  highly  respected,  and  in 
point  of  honor,  he  is  more  sensitive  than  other  men. 
In  the  United  States,  the  bearing  of  arms  in  time  of 
peace  is  not  accounted  an  especially  honorable  profes- 
sion ;  if  a  man  were  habitually  to  walk  our  streets  girt 
with  a  sword,  he  would  be  laughed  at  and  jeered.  But 
our  definition  speaks  of  "honor  in  arms."  Even  if  we 
omit  "arms,"  the  best  part — honor,  the  unwritten  law 
of  chivalrous  manhood — still  remains ;  it  cannot  be 
couched  in  writing,  nor  formulated  into  a  law.  It  is  the 
bouquet  of  character,  the  delicate  perfume  of  the  soul, 
which,  despite  its  delicacy,  makes  its  presence  manifest 
in  the  whole  man,  in  his  every  act  and  thought. 

The  written  law  says,  "  Thou  shalt  not  lie."  But  how, 
nuich  falsehood  there  is  in  the  world  Avhich  the  law  can- 
not touch — falsehood  under  the  protection  of  equivoca- 
tion in  speech  and  action,  under  all  possible  evasion  and 
excuses  made  to  appease  conscience !  Not  so  the  man 
of  chivalrous  honor.     He  is  filled  with  that  noble  pride 


CHIVALRY,  335 

which  will  j^taud  before  no  man  with  eyes  downcast,  he 
wants  to  look  every  man  openly  and  honct^tly  in  the  eye. 
But  he  cannot  do  so,  upon  whose  tongue  there  is  a  lie, 
who  finds  it  necessary  to  conceal  speech  and  countenance 
behind  the  screen  of  equivocation.  Therefore,  the  man 
of  chivalrous  honor  is  true,  where  hundreds  are  false. 

The  man  of  chivalrous  honor  is  faithful.  Falsehood  is 
the  weakness  of  a  heart  that  dares  not  show  itself  in  its 
true  colors.  A  man  of  chivalrous  honor  scorns  such 
weakness  and  timidity. 

For  the  same  reason  the  man  of  chivalrous  honor  is 
better  e(]ui])ped  to  resist  sin  than  others.  Open  sin 
brings  shame,  and  to  sin  in  secret  betokens  fear  of  man 
and  his  criticism.  Both  these  emotions  are  foreign  to 
the  nature  of  chivalry. 

The  man  of  chivalrous  honor  stands  erect  before  the 
great  ones  of  the  earth.  He  bows  no  hjwer  (liaii  llity 
before  him.  lb-  is  no  flatterer,  but  he  shows  kindness 
and  lenity  towards  the  weak  aii<l  the  lowly  ;  lie  is  never 
brutal. 

The  man  of  chivalrous  honor  does  his  duty  without 
boasting;  he  is  too  proud  to  ("((vet  the  applause  of  men. 

In  view  of  the  great  competition  in  business  life,  and 
the  pO(»r  equij)ment,  with  which  so  many  an;  compelled 
to  enter  the  struggle  for  exi.stence,  it  would  ite  unjust  to 
condemn  those  that  lie  in  wait  to  pounce  upon  any 
opportunity  of  gaining  an  advantage;;  that  feel  driven 
to  emplov  any  arfifiee  within  the  boundary  line  of 
threat('ning  law.  Sueli  action,  however,  is  n<it  chival- 
rous. The  man  of  honor  doc«  not  lie  in  wait  in  the 
path  of  lil'e.  lie  marches  straight  forward  in  Iiis  daily 
occupation,  an  the  lion  goctj  forth  for  hia  food. 


336  SABBATH   HOURS. 

The  chivalry  of  man  manifests  itself  most  strongly  in 
his  attitude  towards  the  weak. 

He  whose  capital  is  large  and  whose  soul  is  noble  and 
chivalrous,  sufFei-s  his  weak  competitor  to  live  side  by 
side  Avith  him.  lie  crushes  him  not  with  the  great 
power  at  his  disposal.  The  mighty  stream  allows  the 
brooklet  to  ripple  on  at  its  side ;  it  does  not  swallow  it 
up  in  its  own  greatness. 

If  a  man  is  hard-pressed  by  business  troubles,  power- 
less in  his  relations  to  a  man  of  chivalrous  soul,  unable 
to  impose  conditions,  but  compelled  to  submit  to  any 
that  may  be  offered — the  high-minded  man  will  spare 
the  weak  man,  nor  will  he  take  all  possible  advantage 
of  the  misfortune  of  his  ueighl)()r  which  the  written  law 
may  allow  him  to  take  with  impunity. 

Any  one  attacked  from  behind  is  weak.  To  speak 
evil  of  a  man  behind  his  back  is  sinful,  but  it  is  especially 
offensive  to  the  spirit  of  chivalrous  honor,  which  requires 
a  man  to  take  the  part  of  his  unjustly  slandered  fellow, 
to  defend  the  absent,  who  is  unable  to  defend  himself. 

Woman  is  weak,  not  only  by  virtue  of  her  frailer, 
physical  constitution,  but  also  by  reason  of  her  tem2)era- 
ment  and  the  restraint  put  upon  her  by  nature,  custom 
and  propriety.  The  man  of  chivalrous  honor  is,  there- 
fore, especially  distinguished  by  his  delicate  considera- 
tion for  the  weaker  sex. 

The  minority  is  ever  the  weaker  element  in  a  com- 
munity. It  is  unchivalrous  for  the  majority,  because  of 
its  written  right  to  do  so,  to  tyrannize  over  the  minority; 
especially  is  this  true  in  cases  in  which  the  questions  are 
of  a  religious  nature. 

There  is,  however,  an  obverse  side  to  the  virtue  of 


CHIVALRY.  337 

chivalry.  Even  iu  the  olden  times,  when  chivalry  con- 
stituted the  very  basis  of  society,  the  knights  were  wont 
rather  to  arrogate  to  themselves  more  rights  than  were 
their  due,  than  to  help  others  to  rights  of  which  they 
had  been  defrauded.  So,  in  our  days,  we  find  men  of 
chivalrous  nature,  who  go  far  beyond  the  requirements 
of  the  written  law  in  their  performances,  but  who  also 
frequently  fail  to  come  uj)  to  the  requirements  of  the 
law,  when  it  becomes  inconvenient  for  them  to  do  so.  In 
this  way,  they  lose  a  proper  standard  of  judgment  for 
themselves  and  for  others. 

The  confusion  of  the  chivalrous  honor  of  manhood 
with  outward  marks  of  honor  presents  a  still  darker 
picture.  Undue  anxiety  and  ertbrt  for  distinction  in 
public  life  show  auglit  but  a  knightly  spirit.  Tlie  more 
a  man  or  woman  struggles  for  honor  among  men,  the 
further  does  he  or  she  travel  from  the  path  of  true 
honor.  So  great  are  the  means  re(juired  for  obtaining 
the  gauds  of  pul)lic  honor,  the  path  to  this  goal  is  often 
so  degrading,  if  indeed,  it  be  not  impure  and  lilthy, 
that  a  few  years  t)f  honors  fre(|ueiitly  pave  tlie  way  to  a 
lifetime  of  shame.  And  even  should  this  dearly-liouglit 
outward  distinction  of  a  worthlcj^s  soul  last  through  life, 
what  l)oot3  it?  Nothing  is  gaiMr(l  thereby  except  that 
thousainls  <•!'  eyes  are  fixed  upon  the  man,  and  thousands 
of  lips  pronounce  his  name,  bill  fnily  not  to  honoi-  him. 
For  the  more  a  man  steps  int<ithc  foreground,  the  lielter 
target  does  he  beeoiiK!  for  tlie  crilieal  shots  of  envy  ; 
retributive  justice  feels  caih-d  np<Mi  to  do  its  duty. 
Character,  not  social  position,  makes  the  knight.  The 
lord  may  be  a  slave,  and  his  serf  a  n<ibleman. 

Our  text  thus  teacher  us  that  the  virtue  (»f  chivalry, 

28 


338  SABBATH   HOURS. 

the  bud  of  civilization,  which,  in  our  day,  has  opened 
into  the  full  blown  flower — the  unwritten  law  of  honor 
— is  an  ornament  to  man.  It  further  tells  us  that, 
though  the  days  of  coat  of  mail,  of  shield  and  battle- 
axe  be  past ;  though  the  times  of  Charlemagne ;  of  the 
Cids,  the  Bayards,  the  Richard  Coeur  de  Lions ;  of  Sala- 
din,  of  Gotz  and  von  Hutten  lie  far  behind  us,  there  is 
still  plenty  of  opportunity  for  the  simj^le  citizen  to  per- 
form deeds  of  chivalry.  "Thou  shalt  blot  out  the 
remembrance  of  Amalek." 

Strive  to  keep  all  vulgarizing  influences  far  from  you. 
Avoid  everything  that  may  dishonor  you  in  your  own 
eyes,  and  strive  further  to  root  out  every  remnant  of  the 
deceitful,  cowardly  Amalekite  spirit  that  may  still  lurk 
in  your  heart.  In  the  temple  of  God,  "everything 
speaketh  glory  "  and  honor. 


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